Residents of Joshua Okeowo and Bepo Communities in Ikotun/Igando suburb of Lagos State have raised the alarm over the continued? presence of? a “mystery crocodile'' in the area.
Some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the reptile had?lived in the area for 15 years and had constantly been tormenting ?them.
''Honestly, we are tired of this crocodile. It has been around for some?time and comes out from God-knows-where during the rainy season into the flooded streets to attack us.
''A number of residents had been attacked and seriously wounded by this animal. Only a fortnight ago, it was spotted swimming toward a school boy playing in the flood.
''If not that some?adult residents rushed?to the scene and rescued the boy, it would?have been a different story. Honestly we are tired“ said a resident, Mr Alabi Rabiu.
Another resident, Babatunde Alabi, said that the continued presence of the crocodile in the area had made the residents?to live in perpetual fear.
According to him, the reptile has chosen a permanent habitat in an uncompleted?building in the area, making it difficult for residents to move freely.
Pointing at the abandoned building sitting on a swamp, he said ''That is where it lives, everybody knows but nobody dares goes there.
''Some people have made attempts?to get rid of it without success. The? animal is?feared by everyone. We need the government to help us,“ he said.
According to Alabi, the crocodile once lived in a nearby canal? from where it swam into the community and decided to stay there permanently.
Mrs Atinuke Adewale, another?resident, said that the reptile was unusually huge and behaved in a mysterious way.
She said that she had twice seen the animal swimming on Okeowo Street, which was always flooded and could? not stand the sight of its huge size and the way it behaved.
“I have seen it twice. It is real. It is so big that?I got confused?if it was actually a reptile. It would swim back and forth and make some scary noise.
“I could not watch it for?too long. I was scared. I have never seen?or heard anything like this. It just looked scary,“ she said.
Mr Adeyemi Oke, also a resident, said that once a solution was found to the problem of perennial flooding in the area, the problem of the animal would be solved.
He, therefore, urged the Lagos State Government to come to their aid by building? new drains in the area, into which the floods could be channelled.?
`We are also calling on the government to help us to tar the roads. Because of the floods, we cannot move freely to other communities.
“Joshua Okeowo Street is a link road to Abaranje, but? we `can`t access the place directly because of the floods. We want the government to help us,“ he said.
Mr Tunji Bello, Commissioner for the Environment, who monitored the monthly sanitation exercise in the area, said that the government was already taking steps to solve the flooding problem.
He said?that the Ifelodun and Potoku canals in the area were being expanded to take care of the floods.
Bello urged residents to desist from any act that could exacerbate the problem of flooding. (NAN)