Barely seven months after its occupants were ejected, the Atitebi Police Barracks in Ebute Meta, Lagos State, has turned into a spot where hoodlums smoke hemp and rape young girls.People living close to the barracks said the hoodlums sneak into the premises and rob at night.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, told PUNCH Metro that the building was formerly occupied by some policemen, who were ejected in January 2013 on the excuse that it was due for renovation.
The source said, “The place was formerly occupied by some policemen. But they were given quit notice, saying it was due for renovation. But when they did not quit, they were ejected in January.
“Since then, we see all manner of things in that place. Hoodlums have now taken over the place. They smoke Indian hemp openly and even rape innocent girls at night.
“When they snatch bags and get into that place, that’s the end of the story.”
A trader, who said he had been living close to the barracks for a long time, added that the hoodlums who take refuge in the building were many.
He said, “I cannot count the number of hoodlums living there. This place started to degenerate immediately the policemen were asked to leave. It’s very unfortunate.”
PUNCH Metro visited the complex and observed that the corridors were littered with faeces and heaps of refuse.
The Stench of marijuana and urine also filled the air as many of the urchins hurriedly moved out through the stairways on sighting our correspondent, who they thought was a law enforcement agent.
It was discovered that although there was only one entrance leading to the barracks, five different exit doors had been created at the back.
The entrance to the barracks faces the Ebute Meta Magistrate Court while the exit points lead to the Ebute Meta railway line.
A secondary school pupil living opposite the barracks said he had seen a number of girls being dragged into the abandoned barracks.
He said, “I live opposite the barracks. Since the evacuation of the policemen, I have heard that those area boys rape some innocent girls there. Any time they steal anything and they run into the place, they mysteriously disappear.”
A middle-aged woman living around the area’ who spoke on condition of anonymity’ said the police used to arrest the hoodlums in the building but stopped doing so because they kept returning.
She said, “We all live in fear here. That day, they came and forced the people living in the building out, saying they wanted to renovate the place. Why ask them to leave when you know you are not ready to reconstruct it?”
The state command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, neither picked her calls nor returned the text messages sent to her.
When the Lagos State Building Control Agency was contacted, an official said the agency would send some of its officers to inspect the building on Monday (today).
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