LAGOS MAY 30TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Elebute community at Ibafo community in Obafemi Owode Local government Area of Ogun State was yesterday deserted by landlords, tenants, traders, motorists and commercial bike operators following the gun duel that rained for several hours between oil vandals and security agents.
Forty-eight hours after the incidents, the neighbourhood is still vacated by residents who, according to eyewitnesses, flew for dear lives.
As at when Urhobotoday online spoke with some of the eyewitnesses, three Armoured Personnel Career (APC) belonging to the Nigerian police and the military were stationed around the Junction and Ibafo police station on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
A score of armed policemen with bulletproof jackets were on ground parading the environment.
“As you can see, we heard the information as you heard, but we are here to protect our station from attack,” A policeman said.
However, one of the eyewitnesses who identified him simply as Okon spoke with our correspondent saying, “some oil vandals had invaded the community at night two days ago to attack oil pipeline in the area but were opposed by armed security operatives.”
This encounter, he said led to several hours of gun protest between the duo, to the extent that nobody in the neighbourhood could sleep.
According to him, this scenario continued the next morning to an extent that residents could not move.
He said: “Fears of being hit by gun bullets made many house owners and tenants in the area to vacate their houses and run for their lives.”
Also, another resident (a woman), who had travelled to Ibadan for the weekend and just returned, could not proceed to her house in Elebute road as eyewitnesses narrated the pandemonium that broke out in the neighborhood to her.
Worried by the news, she told newsmen that she had no option than to return to Ibadan for safety.
Also, traders around the location could not display their wares for fear of attack and stray bullets.
Many of them were in small groups discussing what had happened in the neighbourhood.
Commissioner of Police in charge of Ogun State command, Abdulmajid Ali said two kingpin have been arrested following the attack on the police and other security agencies.
“We arrested two of the notorious pipeline vandals and before we knew it, the vandals opened fire on our APC. They destroyed our vehicles. I can assure you that we are out for them now. We are no longer going to tolerate their impunity. We are holding two of the kingpins and we would go out for more. They should leave our national assets alone or face the wrath of the command.” He said.