Barely
seven months after its occupants were ejected, the Atitebi Police
Barracks in Ebute Meta, Lagos State, has turned into a spot where
hoodlums smoke hemp and rape young girls.
People living close to the barracks said the hoodlums sneak into the premises and rob at night.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, told reporters that the building was formerly occupied by some policemen, who were
ejected in January 2013 on the excuse that it was due for renovation.
The source said, “The place was
formerly occupied by some policemen. But they were given quit notice,
saying it was due for renovation. But when they did not quit, they were
ejected in January.
“Since then, we see all manner of
things in that place. Hoodlums have now taken over the place. They
smoke Indian hemp openly and even rape innocent girls at night.
“When they snatch bags and get into that place, that’s the end of the story.”
A trader, who said he had been living
close to the barracks for a long time, added that the hoodlums who take
refuge in the building were many.
He said, “I cannot count the number of
hoodlums living there. This place started to degenerate immediately the
policemen were asked to leave. It’s very unfortunate.”
Newsmen visited the complex and observed that the corridors were littered with faeces and heaps of refuse.
The Stench of marijuana and urine also
filled the air as many of the urchins hurriedly moved out through
the stairways on sighting our correspondent, who they thought was a law
enforcement agent.
It was discovered that although there
was only one entrance leading to the barracks, five different exit doors
had been created at the back.
The entrance to the barracks faces the Ebute Meta Magistrate Court while the exit points lead to the Ebute Meta railway line.
A secondary school pupil living opposite
the barracks said he had seen a number of girls being dragged into the
abandoned barracks.
He said, “I live opposite the barracks.
Since the evacuation of the policemen, I have heard that those area
boys rape some innocent girls there. Any time they steal anything and
they run into the place, they mysteriously disappear.”
A middle-aged woman living around the
area’ who spoke on condition of anonymity’ said the police used to
arrest the hoodlums in the building but stopped doing so because they
kept returning.
She said, “We all live in fear here.
That day, they came and forced the people living in the building out,
saying they wanted to renovate the place. Why ask them to leave when
you know you are not ready to reconstruct it?”
The state command’s Police Public
Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, neither picked her calls nor returned
the text messages sent to her.
When the Lagos State Building Control
Agency was contacted, an official said the agency would send some of its
officers to inspect the building on Monday (today).
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