Guardian

RESIDENTS of Topo, a community in Badagry, Lagos State say they are living in fear following threats from men of the Nigerian Navy over the stabbing to death in his home by armed robbers of a naval officer, Emmanuel Adeyemi.

They say the naval men are threatening to make life unbearable for them unless they produce the men who killed the officer.

A resident of Itoga Village, Samuel Godonu, who was a house-help to the late Adeyemi said the officer had left for work but came back for something he forgot when he was stabbed.

“On getting to the door, the officer unsuspectingly called out the name of his house-help.

He did not know the robbers were inside and had locked his house-help in one of the rooms.

“But before he knew what was happening, the armed robbers rushed out to escape and stabbed him, making away with some items.”

In a meeting recently, between the community and the naval officers, one of them reportedly told the community to fish out the robbers, who he said, were natives.

But the chairman of the community, Prince Isaac F. Idowu    said, “ The only reason the men of the Nigerian Navy suspect our youths is because we are against the manner with which they took over our land and property.

“ We have never believed in violence as a way of redressing the wrong they had done to us as we have heeded our lawyer’s advice that we have a good case, which we need not spoil by taking the law into our hands.

“So individually or collectively, we have never instigated anyone to attack the naval men.”

The secretary of the community, Apostle Johnson O Asaka lamented that  “from nowhere, naval personnel without originally presenting any documents of proof, commenced fencing off and appropriating to themselves, part of the land.

“As law-abiding and peace-loving people and upon the advice of the Akran, Aholu Menu Toyi 1, we immediately commenced an action which is still pending.

“Despite serving the navy with every originating and other processes of the court, it has avoided the court and continued with its activities, forcefully driving away persons living on their own property and taking over.”

Another member of the community, Pastor Nathaniel Nunayon Omosebi said their “prayer to our President, Governor and Local Council chairman is to save us from the wrath of the Navy.

“We fervently hope that the police investigation will unravel those behind this incident, whether or not they were from our community.

“We do not hold brief for our youths, but this is the first time this type of incident has occurred in our community.

“We sincerely do not suspect anyone even as it will be irresponsible of us to hand over our youths to the Navy to save our own heads,” he added.