"BLACKSPOT": THE STORY OF WHO TO ACCUSE?

Davy Fidel 

"Layinka" for many people has being seen as the "black spot" of crime and domestic violence. It has been cast as the home that harbour criminals and waywardness. The home nothing good comes out from, unless; bottles, cutlasses and guns. And since the last violence that erupted August 21, 2018; where people were injured, properties damaged. The story has being Layinka is a monster in human flesh. 

And going by several reports,  it has always being Layinka is an amphitheatre of gangsters. But these several storylines and reports given about this place, don't bother to say what for years has being responsible, to why young people between the ages of 15 to 26 and above, are always on rampage to slice each other throat. Why violence has been a meal for the street for years, despite the police intervening?

The storyline remain the same, even worst. Like the last incident that erupted in the community: Layinka/Olumokun, where people started running halter-scalter to save their lives. New Telegraph described the aggression by saying "there has been a long standing supremacy battle between youths of both sides" (Aug. 20, 2018). Its depict the exact crab life of the poor in a divide world. 

Young people who have no place to go. Nothing to do. Hanging around the corners of each street, to view what can be grab to move on with the next step of life, for themselves become a necessity. This is the fate for hundreds of young people render hopeless. In fact, majority of them are in the radar of helplessness, unable to control what comes their way. It is either you grab or die doing nothing, which has being the mentality of an average youth. 

One painful thing in this place label "black spot" to dig out crime is that, everything about it always comes out the way it must be told. But going by the odds, reporting itself in black and white, of the daily ordeal of young people. Perhaps to challenge the breathe of another air of reasoning over the storyline of "Layinka". And when you walk the street in the day, hundreds of these boys are cast into psychological depression. 

They either sit by the corner or a local tent, to smoke and drink in order to fling the day off there mind. Some who are ahead of others, leave the community to net some big fish. And when they return, they are seen (in the eyes of their peers) as Celebrity, just newly sign into a recording Label, puffing wine and spraying money. They fling round the area with cash and little flowers around them to ride that moment. 

Those who are in the hood, get entice and challenge themselves, to ride out of the area for the briefcase. The mentality of one crab ahead of the other, is not only peculiar in Layinka but in other divide world. Where young boys (and girls) see each other as rival for whatever risk. No one among these young men, what to be left out in making the end line of this marathon. They want to catch up with the fastline of life. To paddle away the ugly life that bare-wire them. 

On weekend especially, boys with flashy life, come around in the hood to offer bottles and talk golden stories. They sit and gist old things. And because they have heavy wallet, they sit like Prince to direct the bottles on the table, while listening to others. In fact, the big boys being around, is to make those harden faces soften. Girls around 15 to 23, move flashy to get attention. Here or there, whether they will be whistle. 

If there is no whistle from any of the table. The bikinis just stroll off. Other boys who aren't up to the bigger boys, will stand by the corner to talk their worries and pain. Sometimes, they will gist till late in the night and get dried; and then talk their misery growing up in the hood. Sadly enough, you will now hear some one shout, hey! my bag. Stop him!  Please, stop that boy!  He's going with my bag. 

What you now see is a teen running that holds a cutlass, either to be use to scare or give a cut to people. And when the teen fortunately escaped any lynch with his group. They go into hiding. This occurrence usually takes place on hours when people are returning from work or from social gathering. Remember a day when some one, whose bag was snatched, was deeply cut. 

And because of this worrisome activities. Leaders in the community, mostly the Privileges, decided to take some actions to arrest the situation, by inviting the police to deal with it. But unfortunately, the storyline has been totally different, going by an event that took place one time. The police who the "Privileges" have entrusted to be the solution, were also culprit of the whole entire story at Layinka. 

The police, who one time during the feud at Layinka, has failed to live up to the task, to give remedy to the erupted crisis. Resident in the hood felt disappointed, that the police stationed in the exact scene, can't do nothing to arrest it. Instead, were busy dipping hands into pocket of people for bread. Thus, this was according to reports gathered one time when Layinka was under  siege. 

People see the police as a drilling machine at Layinka. They are good for nothing crabs. Only interested on the sweat of people. Busy arresting people, going out for their daily hustling. The last "bottles" and "gun" war at Layinka bridge, gave the police an opportunity to do the otherwise. Although, for a lot of people, the tension has gone down. But the shadow of the police is now monster in the hood.

For other people who say something different. See behind the "shadow of the police" that, their claws on the people is cause by the bigger monsters, drinking the water meant for everyone. That the ragged uniform go about on hard ground, to arrest crime when the worm are angry, eating their everyday life.  The dark cloud is what has tore pieces the psychology of the police, to become a drilling machine in the hood.

This has been the roaster while Layinka is "black spot", having the features of Ragged Dick. However, for a lot of young boys testing the earth with their anger, are drop out. The bosses on their part tries to shift the blame and accuse the community. Whereas, they are the ones responsible to the "black spot". Layinka must stand up to speak than died inside the skin of erupting war. If not, the worst await the entire community, failing to hold the government.

By Davy Fidel
LIFEINSLUM