Kunle Adelabu & Jare Babatunde
-Residents clamour for social aid
It was a massive compliance across Ikorodu division on the first day of the 14 days total lockdown ordered in Lagos State and Abuja by the Federal Government in a bid to effectively contain the spread of CONVID – 19 (Coronavirus) as shops, markets, banks, palaces and other public and private establishments that usually enjoy large traffic of human patronages and presence were completely shut down.
Our reporter monitored the compliance level in four local council areas in Ikorodu division. The councils were Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Area (LCDA), Ikorodu Local Government, Ikorodu North LCDA and Ikorodu West LCDA.
When our reporter visited the Secretariats of the four councils, they were shut while theIR premises were completely deserted.
Also, banks, businesses markets and shops across the four councils were also shutdown in compliance with the directive.
From Igbogbo through Oba Omolaja/Ikorodu road, Sheriff/Ota-Ona, Awolowo, Alhaji Street, Sabo, Itamaga, Sabo/Garage, Lagos, Garage/Ayanbure/T.O.S Benson Avenue, down to Ogolnoto/Ipakodo/Port Road, Sekumade – Ipakodo-Igbogbo road, there was no sign of the usual human and vehicular presence as residents observed the stay at home directive.
The only place our reporter witnessed large concentration of residents was the Hausa section of the Sabo market. Though, the main market was under lock and key.
As our reporter walked along the main streets and roads in Ikorodu, one constant question that residents kept asking was “when is the Lagos State Government and Federal Government going to provide social interventions (money and food items) for us to cushion the effects of the stay at home order? “.
The security presence across the areas visited by our reporter was not much as expected. The only place that had heavy presence of security personnel was the frontage of Ikorodu Police Divisional Headquarters where officers of the Nigerians police and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps were seen stopping and searching few motorists and passers-by in sight, while also interrogating those that did not have genuine reasons to move around.
At Ipakodo, two vehicle owners told our reporter that men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) stopped them and at Ipakodo seized their cars and asked them to come back for them after the curfew.
At the Hausa section of the Sabo market where Hausas and others were seen gathered in multitudes and moving about in flagrant disobedience to the restriction order, the OP MESA team, an arm of the 174 Battalion at Odongunyan, arrived at 9.03am to monitor compliance when our reporter was still on ground.
Upon arriving the area, the soldiers immediately dispatched the unwanted gatherings within ten minutes and restored sanity.
At the Ikorodu Garage roundabout where about four Mobile Police (MOPOL) officers were stationed, there was a roadblock while vehicles were stopped and searched.
At lpakodo/Igbogbo/Ibeshe junction, several police officers were seen seated at a corner monitoring events around the axis when our reporter arrived around 11am.
The Ikorodu garage, which is the commercial centre of the division, was deserted safe for some miscreants that gathered beside the CONOIL and constituting nuisance in the process, while some young boys were seen playing football at the T.O.S junction of Owolowo and Ebute axis.
In the same vein, the banking sector of Ikorodu division witnessed a complete shut, though, people were seen queueing up at some banks to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
However,S some of these people that spoke with THE IMPACT claimed that they were unable to make withdrawal as the ATM machines did not dispense money.
