Robbers take over Mile 2, attack Vanguard staff, motorists

THREE Vanguard Newspapers staff were, Tuesday, attacked by a gang of armed robbers, who laid siege on Mile 2 Bridge, dispossessing commuters of valuables and damaging vehicles in the process.

The incident, which happened at 8:35p.m., occurred in a traffic gridlock when the victims were going home after the close of work.

Narrating the ugly encounter with the hoodlums, who were brandishing dangerous weapons, one of the victims said: “On our way home, we were stuck in the usual traffic on Mile 2 bridge.

“The highway that leads to Oshodi was slightly free, so we had to stay on that lane with the aim of diverting to the lane that would take us to Lagos/Badagry Expressway.

“While we were waiting on that traffic, we heard knocks on the passenger side of the front seat. We did not suspect anything fishy.

“When the knocks persisted, we demanded to know what the two boys that were knocking wanted.

“They continued with the knocks and were ordering us to roll down and give them our phones. We did not oblige them.

Do you have any such experiences on Lagos roads ?

“When they noticed that we were hesitating to do their bidding, they shattered the side-glass of the front passenger seat with a heavy metal.”

The robbers then swooped on the occupants of the car and dispossessed them of their phones, wallets containing some amount of money, bank ATM cards, National Identity cards and other valuables.

The victim continued: “After collecting our property, they turned to the driver’s side. When the vehicle in front moved, we zoomed off. We were left with nothing.”

Few days ago, two staff of Vanguard were also robbed at the same spot, which has become a den for robbers.

The hoodlums, who also operate in day time, do so while some armed policemen patrol the Mile 2 bridge. The robbers capitalise on the traffic gridlock created by the ongoing re-construction work on the highway.

Motorists, who spoke to Vanguard, lamented the constant harassment and humiliation meted on them by these hoodlums.

They said that the attacks had turned the popular Mile 2 into a dreaded zone as the daredevils freely make use of hammer, knife, gun or any weapon to dispossess victims of valuables.