10 injured as robbers attack photojournalist, others in Oyo

THE peace of Apete community where most students of The Polytechnic Ibadan reside was ruptured Thursday as gun-totting robbers numbering 20 invaded Jamade street, Opposite Goshen land, leaving bloodstains in their trail.

Before the robbers who besieged the community left the area, more than 10 people including a photojournalist of the Guardian Newspaper, Mr Najeem Raheem and others were severely injured.

Apete in Ido Local government area of Oyo State has been under series of robbery attacks.

We gathered that no fewer than 40 houses of the densely populated community had been injured by the robbers in the last one month.

The robbers who reportedly stormed the area around 1am robbed more than ten houses including the residence of Deputy Photo Editor of the Guardian Newspaper, Mr Najeem Raheem whose son, Faruk reportedly fainted after being hit with an iron rod when he tried to resist the robbers.

While his father, Najeem Raheem escaped by the whiskers, his wife received machete cuts.

Also robbed was a student hostel in the area where no fewer than four students sustained machete cuts.

It was further gathered that despite the fact that police were alerted early enough, it took them over one hour from their nearby Divisional Police Station, Apete to the crime scene

Among the robbers’ victims were an Islamic cleric, Alhaji Adekunle, a lecturer from a private school and a staff of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

Items stolen by the robbers include laptops, phones and money cash.

A resident of the community said, “This is the least we expected from Police. In fact, some people called 615 released by government and other numbers. We didn’t get response. In this community alone, no fewer than 40 houses have been attacked with not less than 30 persons sustaining all sorts of injuries after losing valuables in the last month”.

Raheem said, “I thank God I didn’t lose my son and wife. They came in through the fence. My wife sustained machete cut and my son was hit with iron which made him unconscious. We called the police but the response was not encouraging. We can’t sleep with our eyes closed anymore. Governor Makinde also needs to see to this rising insecurity. We have turned ourselves to night guards. We are suffering the bad economy and the government must protect us.”

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