I Paid N40,000 To Escape Being Gang-Raped ––Lagos Big Girl

Residents of Mushin area of Lagos are still living in an atmosphere of fear after Sunday’s mayhem in which their homes were looted and a man was allegedly killed.

“I have no doubt that the men moving about the street, robbing and attacking people were up to 70 because the ones who came into my room were up to 15. There were other groups in other apartments at the same time. 

“They kicked down the door and demanded money and my phones. But I was begging them that I had nothing in the house. I thought they would move on to other houses if I told them that. But some of them suddenly pulled down my trousers and...

"I started begging and quickly dipped my hand into a place where I had saved N40,000 and handed it to them. I begged them to let me go. I told them that was all I had. I was lucky they left after that.”

This was the account of a Lagos big girl who simply identified her self as Florence. Some other ladies are just too shy to play out their sad experience in the hands of the rampaging boys.

When Punch visited the area on Wednesday to see what has changed since the incident, but observed that many of the residents are afraid that the hoodlums who carried out the attack might soon come back as they reportedly promised.

Some of the residents insisted the perpetrators, who they said numbered more than 50, came from Akala Street, Mushin.

Ike Olu Street was the most affected area. There were still remnants of shattered vehicle windscreens, house windows and burnt vehicles on the street when our correspondent visited.

The residents said the hoodlums went from house to house around 1.30am on Sunday, robbing and looting shops and smashing cars before fleeing when they heard police sirens.

The looting hoodlums came back after the police left. More looting was recorded during their second coming. It was during that period that they reportedly burnt the vehicles they had already smashed.

At least eight vehicles were said to have been burnt down.

Punch learnt that the men responsible for the mayhem were suspected to be those vending hard drugs and Indian hemp in Mushin. Police authorities say they are still investigating.