Posted by By Okey Ndiribe& Mike Ebonugwo on
THERE are indications that the on-going distribution of the national identity cards has run into hiccups in Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital.
LAGOS - THERE are indications that the on-going distribution of the national identity cards has run into hiccups in Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital.
Investigations by Vanguard have revealed that the exercise was scuttled in several parts of the state due to the activities of street urchins popularly called area boys.
An official of DNCR who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity at Agege said that restive youths of the area pounced on one of the ad-hoc staff who were distributing the cards and beat her black and blue last Saturday.
The official said that the alleged offence of staff who was identified simply as Bukky was that she insisted that the huge crowd that had come to collect the cards should be orderly and maintain a queue to enhance smooth distribution of the cards.
It was learnt that after some of the street urchins residing in the area had waited for hours without getting their cards, they attacked Bukky and slapped her several times. The ad-hoc staff had to abandon her duty post and run for her dear life.
Another staff of the DNCR who participated in the distribution of the cards at Ifako area of Gbagada near Bariga was full of thanks to God for not being attacked by the restive youths of the area.
The lady told Vanguard that a policeman who observed how the crowd had besieged her in the area and had come to her rescue was swept off his legs and carried away by the street urchins when the crowd surged forward.
Said she: "After the policeman was subjected to this treatment, he ran away from the area and never came back. I was therefore left to face that huge crowd alone."
She said that other staff of the agency who worked at nearby Shilomi Street which was considered a quiet area were also rough-handled by street urchins in the area who had converged on one of the distribution centres in the vicinity to collect their cards.
It was learnt that in another centre at Akerele Street, Surulere, a female staff of DNCR was beaten up and stripped naked by an irate crowd that had assembled to collect their cards.
Apart from the violence which attended the exercise in several parts of the state, distribution of the cards was also nearly marred by absence of some of the DNCR staff who were supposed to distribute the cards to members of the public.