Hoodlums Invade Lagos Public Conveniences: Fear has gripped residents across Lagos State and its environs following the invasion of public toilets and baths by hoodlums, who have converted it into a meeting place to carry out their criminal activities.
It will be recalled that the Lagos state government 2021 constructed 345 public toilets in various local government and local council development areas across the state to tackle open defecation in the state.
These public toilets and baths owned by the Lagos state government are operated by the state ministry of women’s affairs and poverty alleviation.
Although private investors have tapped into investing in the construction and running of public conveniences in strategic areas in Lagos, investigation reveals that people pay as low as N100 to either defecate or take their baths in publicly owned conveniences.
NigeriaCrime.com learned area boys, robbers and rapists, allegedly use these public toilets and baths as their meeting places to carry out their criminal activities. An unfortunate trend that is seen from CMS to Iyana Ipaja, Akowonjo, Ojuelegba, Abule Egba, Agege, Igando, Badagry, bus stops where these public conveniences exist.
Recent activities around some of these public conveniences reveal that area boys, robbers and rapists, use the toilets and baths as early as 6 .am daily, after carrying out their operations the night. It also serves as a meeting point for old and new colleagues who brainstorm on how to survive the day, indulging in criminal acts.
A worker at a public convenience who spoke on condition of anonymity told NigeriaCrime.com that some social urchins have sex inside the toilet. Once they pay to use the toilet we can’t stop them from doing what they like.
“Some of them stay inside to smoke Igbo, drink all sorts of local and foreign concoctions, network, brainstorm, take their bath, defecate and wash their clothes.”
Friday Etim, a worker in one of the public toilets and baths at Ile-Epo market in Abule Egba said though some decent pay to use the conveniences, most of his clients are hoodlums.
His words: ‘The police should be its searchlight around public conveniences as criminally minded persons have taken over most public toilets and baths, which poses danger to other users.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police public relations officer, when contacted said he is not aware of (Hoodlums Invade Lagos Public Conveniences) the invasion of suspected robbers, rapists, and others around public conveniences. Hundeyin, a superintendent of police however promised to look into the issue.
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