Government silent days after residents uncovered ‘kidnappers tunnel’ near Lagos school

Government and the police are yet to find their voices five days after residents uncovered a suspected kidnappers’ tunnel in Lagos.

The tunnel, located in Sari-Iganmu, along Orile-Badagry Expressway, is so sophisticated it could not have been built without government knowledge, residents say.

The tunnel is located in front of Araromi Secondary School, a government-run learning facility where many children and teenagers are registered. Human body parts, school uniforms, small-size socks, diapers among others, were found in the tunnel, Punch reported.

Days after the discovery, the police and Lagos neighbourhood watch are reportedly avoiding journalists who are seeking clarity on the matter.

“Several calls made by our correspondent to the mobile phone of the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, rang out and he had yet to reply to a text message sent to him as of press time,” Punch said in a report on Saturday.

“The spokesperson for the Lagos State Neighbourhood Corps, Lanre Durojaye, did not pick up his calls or reply to a text message sent to him,” the newspaper added.

How was the tunnel discovered?

“Members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) had been suspecting that whenever they were chasing thieves in the evening from Alafia bus stop along the expressway, the suspects would disappear around the tunnel,” a landlord told Punch.

“On Tuesday, a bread seller was passing through the spot when she saw some persons inside the tunnel which linked to the other side of the road and connected several drainage channels.

“The entrance to that tunnel is narrow but it is wide inside.

“She alerted some people who entered the tunnel and found mattresses, televisions and other home appliances.

“Two suspects were arrested that day and a mob burnt one of them. The other suspect was rescued and handed over to the police.”

He said people resumed the search on Wednesday and picked up another two suspects – a youth and an elderly man – while decayed body parts were found.

“They set the youth on fire and spared the elderly man, believing that he would confess.

“He was handed over to the officials of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Corps. They found N17,000 crisp naira notes on him and took him to the police station. I learnt body parts and skulls were also found inside the tunnel.”
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Another resident said the den was actually discovered on Monday by some transport union workers who saw two people coming out of the tunnel.

“The transport union workers followed them to the den and saw burnt clothes belonging to people,” he said.

“They also found electricity and home appliances. They handed them over to the police.

“On Tuesday, people were on the lookout again. They accosted someone who wore a wig, disguising as a woman. Another suspect acted as a mad man. ATMs and phones were found on them and they were burnt to death.

“On Wednesday, people searched again and found skulls. On Friday evening, they found about 20 pieces of socks belonging to children.”