By Micheal Ofolue

Residents of Akure, the Ondo State Capital, are now living in perpetual fear over incessant robbery attacks.
Reports reaching The Hope Metro indicated that no fewer than 10 houses, shops have been robbed by hoodlums who operated with commercial motorcycles otherwise known as ‘Okada’ .
Some of the areas that have witnessed unwholesome activities of hoodlums are, Sijuwade, Oke-Aro, Oda road, Champion, Lafe areas, all in Akure South Local Government of the state.
Last Sunday, a middle aged business man was reportedly shot dead at Sijuade Specialist hospital junction in Akure.
Informed sources said after the bandits killed the business man, simply identified as Chukwuma, they went to a beer parlour in the same Sijuwade and robbed a woman of some amount money, while they matchetted a man drinking in the same beer joint who wanted to confront them.
The hoodlums moved to Oke Aro area, where they robbed some unsuspecting victims and inflicted injuries on some of them who could not give them money..
Also, a middle aged man was also shot along Champion junction area while inside his car by the same set of robbers.
The unfortunate development has forced many shops and households to close their business centres before 7pm daily.
A relative of the deceased killed at Sijuwade junction who does not want his name in print said, the robbers operated between the hours of 8 to 9pm
He said when they killed his brother, they went to Oda police division which covers the area to report the incident, but the police shut their gate on them and nobody visited the scene of the crime until 7am the following day.
He lamented that it took him and some other relatives of the deceased help to evacuate the corpse to the mortuary.
Some residents of Sijuwade and Ijoka area who spoke to The Hope Metro, lamented the absence of policemen on the roads and streets in Akure metropolis, adding that despite resolutions of the EndSARS protests, policemen in the state have refused to return to work.
They said the continuous absence of policemen on the road is an invitation of armed bandits to take over the roads and streets as many can’t sleep with their two eyes closed.
The banks in Akure operate between the hours of 8am and 2pm and close their gates to their customers who come for any form of transaction after 2pm for fear of being attacked.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami, while confronted with the worrisome development, said his men are on the streets working and that there is no cause for panic.
When this reporter visited “A” Division Police Station, none of the few officers met on ground was seen putting on their uniforms while performing skeletal works
A police officer who spoke to The Hope Metro on condition of anonymity said they are all afraid of being attacked and that is the reason nobody is wearing uniform.
Some policemen in Ondo state who spoke with our reporter insisted that their refusal to get back to work was because of the rampant killings of their men, adding that it is their way of expressing their grievances.
However, this is contrary to Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu’s directives that policemen should commence patrol in all nooks and crannies to restore peace and normalcy.
Many streets in Akure have started putting up various vigilante groups to tackle the menace of banditry which is taking a worrisome dimension.