In recent days, several video clips of armed robbers invading streets and homes have emerged from the State, with the latest coming last night when 3 men were caught with a gun at Iyana Ipaja, in the Agege area of the State.

According to some residents, who shared their experiences on Twitter, no one cares about social distancing or being affected by Coronavirus disease anymore as ‘bad boys’ have taken over the State.

In what appeared like a coordinated operation, the hoodlums were said to have arrived in okadas and buses, armed with different kinds of weapons. 

They are calling on the government and the State Commissioner of Police to beef up security in the State as people no longer sleep with their two eyes closed.

Some comments gathered from social media showed that no part of Lagos is safe and that things may get worse if the lockdown continued without adequate palliatives put in place by the government.

“They came in at about 7pm this night with about 30 okadas and 10 5 buses,” a resident in Aluminium village in Dopemu wrote.

“Many houses and food shops have been robbed. In fact they also broke into some warehouses here and stole items.” 

In Mangoro, another resident said they attacked people on the streets, snatching purses.  

“Nowhere is safe in the area now. Those that were on the streets were attacked and they collected their purses. They also broke into houses and robbed people of their valuables.” 

In Iyana Ipaja, a resident said after previous attacks, some youth in the area lit bonfires on the streets. 

“We know they have been operating in nearby streets, but we won’t allow them to get into our streets. We will keep a night over this fire,” one of them at Iyano Ipaja said.

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Bala Elkana, Lagos police spokesperson, however, accused those with the bonfires of causing panic in the areas. 

“We have sent our rapid response squad there, and what we discover are youth of that area stepping out in the name of protecting their areas from hoodlums coming in,” he said. 

“Then burning tyres in the name of securing, and this on its own is creating panic. We have sent a strong message, the order is stay at home. Everybody must stay at home. We have enough deployment all this while. We are not under any threat.

"Those youths are looking for an opportunity to be out of the house, so they are creating panic. There is adequate police patrol in the areas.” 

On Friday, suspected hoodlums had broken into houses and shops in Lagos and Ogun.