Pregnant Arepo victim buried as community tightens security

Twenty-five-year-old Damilola Fajana, who was killed by a stray bullet during a clash between members of the Oodua People’s Congress and some Ijaw youths, suspected to be pipeline vandals, in the Arepo community, Ogun State, has been buried.

She was laid to rest at a cemetery in Lagos State on Saturday.

At the occasion were family members, friends, neighbours, and residents of Arepo.

PUNCH Metro had reported that the victim was heading for her residence in Beachland Estate, when she was caught up in the crossfire.
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Her husband, Bukayo, told our correspondent that she was six months and two weeks pregnant when she was killed.

He added that his late wife had planned to deliver the baby in the United States.

Meanwhile, PUNCH Metro has gathered that the community has decided to increase security measures to forestall a recurrence of the incident.

A resident, Gbolahan Ogunsile, told our correspondent that every resident in the area had been mandated to obtain a sticker which would allow them entrance into the area.

He said, “Car owners have been asked to obtain a sticker.

“The sticker is like a gate pass that will allow the residents entrance into the community. The community will start the implementation of the order on Monday (today).”

It was also learnt that residents of Unity Estate, the area where Damilola was shot dead, had also overhauled their security arrangements.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said streets like Daramola Olu, Jimoh Akinsanya, had changed security guards to check the activities of vandals.

A petition, addressed to the Pipelines and Petroleum Marketing Company by the Chairman and Executives of the Unity Estate Residents’ Association, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent, appealed to the PPMC to remove all shanties in the area.

It said, “The shanties are used among others, as storing places for the stolen fuel in jerrycans and are usually disguised as beer parlours, block-molding factories and welder’s shop.

“We therefore call on you to come to our aid in Arepo and assist us to do the needful to secure lives and property.

“We posit that a veritable starting point will be to take necessary steps to remove all the shanties on the Sanya Onayoade/Pipelines Road/Jimoh Akinsanya areas, since these shanties are being used as conduits to fuel the activities of the pipelines vandals.”