Ipodo, a community in the heart of Ikeja, Lagos, is fast becoming the Columbia of Nigeria in terms of trade in illicit drugs and consumption. And it appears the government is helpless about the situation!
The cacophonous situation created by the noise blaring from loud speakers jutting out from almost every house and shacks adorning the street remains a permanent feature as the inhabitants and visitors have to block their ears with their palms while transacting any form of business in the area.
Of course, the open sale of drugs complemented with the activities of the purveyors of the oldest trade of prostitution, go on uninhibited round the clock everyday. Youths within the age bracket of 15 and 25 pine away in their warped world and erroneous belief that they are the “happening guys” about town. The attitude of this class of youths and other older residents is that since Lagos does not sleep, Ipodo, too, should be an exception.
Activities of newspaper vendors, bus conductors and other touts, too, who have carved out portions of the street for their activites, add to the rowdiness of Ipodo. “Give me The Punch…eh”; “give me The Point!”; “Gbosa! Eh Biodun, give me one shot of Ogogoro and Kolanut”; “I get Vanguard o!”, “Give me my change. Gboosa!” “Ogba …Ogba… Ogba .Agege Straight!,” “Iyana Ipaja! Ojota! Obalende CMS!” “Alausa Express, Mile Two Staight, Bolade Oshodi..!”. In the heart of Ipodo are also food vendors, who clutter the narrow road with their wares placed on both sides of it.
A long queue of rickety commercial vehicles constantly occupy the remaining portion of the almost impassable road that can hardly accommodate a two wheel cart. Activities of the motor park touts have actually turned this once-upon-a-time decent environment to a mere dump site as clearly shown by the heap of filth dotting the environment and emitting offensive odour that assails the nostrils of every first time visitors.
Ipodo residents will jeer at first time callers, who they easily identify when they cover their nostrils with handkerchiefs in the ever busy notorious community.
Painstaking investigations by our correspondent revealed that Ipodo has become the epicenter of the battlefield, where one has to constantly look above his shoulders to dodge stray bullets fired from guns by a criminal gang member or louts.
“In most cases, bullets could have been fired by either a narcotic officer, chasing drug dealers or from a police officer attempting to apprehend high profile criminals, who may have run into a nearby brothel to take refuge. Even with an enhanced patrol of Ipodo, the bad boys, who run errand for their masters do not fear anyone,” a resident, Mr. Abbey Adu, told our correspondent.
According to Adu, “Ipodo is fast becoming the epicenter of drug deals. Call it “Johnsen”, or any other name, attention is now focused on this community. May be it is because of the large concentration of prostitutes on the street or the nocturnal activities of sleazy criminals peddling drugs around. In the next one hour, do not be surprised if you see either the police or NDLEA officials running after these bad boys. Our community has now earned the sobriquet, ”Little Columbia”.
Independent checks by our correspondent revealed that apart from drugs dealings and prostitution, Ipodo is also a gambling center, where street urchins, popularly known as area boys, revel in this social menace.
“They usually bet with their mobile phones or just anything of commercial value. The irony of it all is that they are indulging our children, who they teach how to steal, smoke, rob and engage in prostitution. Not long ago, one of the bad guys stole an iPhone right inside the bank opposite the street. We were all astonished, when, the following day, police officers from the nearby Area F came to invade our community. Initially, we were making mockery of the officers, but they knew the suspect they were looking for because the CCTV in the bank caught the iPhone thief. It did not take them long to arrest the man, who confessed that he had sold the phone to another bad guy serving as the receiver for stolen goods.
“The back of uncompleted buildings has been chosen as their sales depot, where stolen items are exchanged for cash .Once an item is stolen and the thief enters into the area, he simply disappears. Those who claimed to help you n pursuing the thief are simply gang members. We know them, but you dare not expose their activities to the law enforcement agents. Once you do that, just prepare to leave the community or know that you are already marked down as a target for sudden death. Those who should have known better within the community will in turn blame you for revealing home secret to the outsiders. Then, you are paid back in your own coin,” a shop owner in the area, Mr. Ikenga Azuzu, said.
Also speaking with The Point, a commercial bus driver, Mr. Danjuma Ibrahim, said, “Ipodo is a dirty community with youths with equally dirty minds. It will take God’s intervention to reform the youths who have taken criminality as their way of life. We are here doing our own business, but there is nothing we can do about their activities. Our own is to pick passengers and take off because we do not reside here”. However, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Dolapo Badmos, told our correspondent that the police would continue to arrest suspected criminals in the area.
“Ipodo is a black spot. From smashing and grab to outright armed robbery, the community harbours some deadly gangs and we shall not relent in our concerted efforts at raiding those areas they usually hibernate,” Badmos said.
