Residents of Shogunle were left stunned after a young man, believed to be under the influence of narcotics, lost control and vandalized several shops worth hundred thousands of Naira in a frenzied outburst.
As gathered, the young man, who had consumed a huge amount of illicit drugs, nicknamed “Colo” by residents, was said to have destroyed about two shops during the rampage, which occurred on Bello Owosho Street around Shogunle Bus Stop in Oshodi Local Government Area of Lagos.
The suspected drug-induced youth, in his mid-20s, was said to have stripped himself naked in the middle of the bustling street, where residents were still going about their normal lives, with food sellers attending to customers in mini restaurants and beverage stores still open around 10:30 p.m. yesterday.
The young man, who is said to be “always high”, a street description used for people who have consumed excessive alcohol or narcotics, burst out of nowhere in the late evening and was reportedly heading toward the bus stop when he abruptly stopped in the middle of the road, creating a scene.
Residents, including youths and elderly people, gathered to witness the rampage after the suspected drug-induced man was heard shouting “Ni oruko Jesu!!!!!!”, a Yoruba way of saying “In the name of Jesus!”
According to eyewitnesses, the man was initially heading to the bus stop before halting halfway, then went ahead to pick up heavy stones by the roadside and began striking several shops situated at the point where he stood.
“I was on my own selling food as I always do at night, with customers and my children gathered in my shop, when we heard a loud voice across the next street. Before you know it, we saw a man in his mid-20s shouting ‘Ni Oruko Jesu!!!’ while he marched like a soldier and stopped in front of my shop,” a popular food seller in the area told our correspondent.
“Before you know it, he fell to the ground and then stripped himself naked before he picked a big stone in front of one church opposite my shop and smashed the boutique beside mine, which was covered with glass. He threw the stone like five times.”
According to the food seller, popularly known as Iya Abideen, during this time, everybody had run far away from him, fearing harm, including the woman herself, who disclosed that she and her customers, initially gathered at the food stand, locked themselves inside a shop to avoid being attacked by the suspected drug-fueled man.
“We were unable to hold him down. He is someone we know on the street, however, everybody was scared to touch him,” another eyewitness, who described the incident as bizarre, added.
While speaking with our correspondent on Friday, an 18-year-old girl who was present at the scene stated that the incident traumatised her, as the memory still plays in her head despite taking water to calm her nerves.
“I can’t even imagine the whole thing. It was traumatising. My whole body was shaking at that moment. Imagine if he had a weapon, you know what he could have done.”
The event, which residents noted was not uncommon in the area, as the young man was not the first to go berserk, has left many concerned, with calls on the government to take enforcement against illicit drugs more seriously.
Although residents noted that police officers operating from a division down the street carry out nightly raids to fish out bad eggs among the youths in the community, many still sneak into dense areas to take narcotics and end up causing scenes like this.
The Lagos State government, through its task force, has already begun enforcement measures against drug users and peddlers across the state as part of ongoing efforts to maintain a drug-free environment.
Several arrests and prosecutions have been made in recent months, with about 32 drug peddlers arrested and several illegal substances recovered during a recent raid on black spots in Ikeja GRA and surrounding areas.
The areas covered during the operation included Adekunle Fajuyi Way, opposite the area where the suspected drug-induced man was seen destroying property, Shobo Arobiodu, Isaac John Street, Oba Akinjobi Road in GRA Ikeja, and other adjoining streets where criminal activity has been reported.
The suspects, comprising 25 males and 7 females, were found in possession of hard and illicit drugs suspected to include Indian hemp, codeine, and other narcotic substances.
