The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned Tuesday's daring armed robbery attacks in the FESTAC area of Lagos metropolis which resulted in the killing of a Mother and her baby.

HURIWA described the incident as one ‘horror movie’ too many which mustn’t be allowed to repeat itself given that this type of organised crime has happened like five times in less than three months in different parts of Lagos metropolis.

The Rights group has called for the adoption of national anti-crime strategies which must include the setting up of a joint military/DSS/police anti - robbery task force to work in synergy to combat the rising trends of armed robbery and check the incessant killings of civilians by armed robbers.

“Government of Lagos State must on its own set up anti-crime partnership with all the States contiguous and sharing land and Sea border with it so as to jointly implement community policing strategies to smoke out these undesirable elements who live amongst people in these communities so their wings are clipped effectively. Government also must broaden the horizon of industrialisation and job creation so willing unemployed youth can be gainfully engaged and be able to resist the temptation to join bad gangs.”

HURIWA also has asked the Lagos State government to identify the family members of the woman and her baby killed by the armed robbers at Festac with the aim of paying heavy compensation to them since their killings resulted from the failure of the State government to protect their lives and property which is a constitutional obligation that is binding on government officials as their primary duties.

The group also called for compensation for the motorcycle operator gunned down similarly by the hoodlums.

“Those who committed this heinous crime must be arrested, prosecuted and made to face firing squad as a consequence of their dare devilry.”

HURIWA recalled that no fewer than forty heavily armed robbers, on Tuesday morning, invaded two second generation banks in 4th Avenue, Festac area of Lagos state and carted away huge sums of money.

During the operation which lasted hours, a two-year-old toddler, Mmesoma Ndirika, and her mother, Jane, who were inside their apartment in an adjoining building, were reportedly hit by stray bullets from the unruly armed bandits who were shooting sporadically in all directions.

Reports said both mother and child later died as a result of injuries they sustained from bullets.

Similarly, HURIWA recalled that a commercial motorcyclist who was also hit by stray bullets reportedly died later in an undisclosed private hospital.

It took the Police more than one and half hours to respond, according to media report. HURIWA said this shows how abysmally unprofessional and unprepared to combat crime and criminality the operatives and hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force are therefore demanding urgent surgical overhaul of the operational mechanisms of all the security agencies and most especially the police that has totally become incapacitated to face the complex challenges posed by the activities of sophisticated and well trained gangs of armed hoodlums. HURIWA said the time for the Federal government to act decisively to combat crime is now.

HURIWA further recalled that reports said the bandits who were dressed in military camouflage uniforms, attacked the banks after alighting from boats at a nearby canal.

In a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA asked President Muhammadu Buhari to convoke a national anti-crime forum immediately to set up joint national anti-crime fighting task force to be coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser and membership drawn from the police and all other security establishment.

The Rights group has also called for comprehensive police reforms as a long term objective but for now the group tasked the Nigerian Government to redesign and swiftly enforce vigorous intelligence guided anti-crime strategies because the Nigeria Police Force has failed in this most important national duty.

“How come that this FESTAC robbery is the third or fifth of its kind in Lagos State and Nigeria claims to have marine police department but yet these largely untrained and unskilled gunmen have successfully disgraced the Nigeria Police Force by staging sensational robbery attacks in Lagos?

Sadly, each time the police officers would generate some incoherent media noise and will end up not effectively resolving the crime incident but would in no time produce some persons to be paraded as the suspects and these species of crime has become unprecedented meaning that the police aren’t doing the right thing.”

•Photo shows Onwubiko.

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