Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Biodun Stephen, has expressed concern about the threat posed by criminals who steal people’s phones.
In a video shared via her Instagram page, Stephen said it is no longer safe to answer phone calls in certain areas of the state.
The filmmaker claimed area boys are snatching people’s phones in broad daylight and forcefully demanding money from their victims.
She narrated how one of her crew members, who was a “victim had to pay money to the thugs before recovering his phone”.
Stephen appealed to the president and the Lagos government to take action to curb the menace which she described as a “pandemic”.
“I’m making a special appeal to our governor, president and everybody in power. There’s a pandemic and menace that is occurring,” she said.
“You can no longer walk in the streets of certain areas in Lagos like Oshodi, Agege, Lagos Island, and pick a phone call.
“A bunch of guys will gather around you and demand for your phone or snatch it. They will tell you boldly to your face to give them money if you want your phone back. There’s someone whose phone was snatched and she had to pay N50,000.
“We kept on calling a crew member of ours and we were worried, he was forced to pick his phone around Agege and suddenly eight boys gathered around him. This happened at 9:30 am when the street was busy but everybody passing by ignored the situation.
“The boys were pushing him around and threatened to kill him and that nothing will happen. He ended up parting with N5,000 to get his phone back.
“As he was telling us the story, another person confirmed that same happened to her 3 weeks ago. This is a state and country with laws. These boys are claiming that it is their father and mother that is in government.
“Please we are citizens and we are begging because the security of the citizenry is part of your mandate.
“These boys are becoming brazen and attacking people in broad daylight, demanding, exploiting, extorting, and threatening.”
