Residents flee as monkeys invade Lagos community

Invasion by monkeys from natural habitat is forcing many residents of Soluyi/Sosanya Community in Gbagada, Lagos state, to flee.
Some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday that they could no longer withstand the situation.
They called on the state government to save the community from the trouble, saying the animals got into their rooms, destroying window and door nets, food stuffs and other items.
Chairman of the community’s Landlord Association, Adigun Olaleye, said it had become difficult for the community to curtail the monkeys and their destructive attitude.
He said the invasion might have resulted from the nearness of the community to a swamp forest that separated the community from Ifako area.
According to him, the monkeys come into residences at any time including early morning and gain entrance into rooms even if the houses are locked.
Olalaye said the community had written a letter to the Lagos state Ministry of Agriculture as regards the situation, but had yet to get a relief.
“They said we would have to pay for them to come and pack the monkeys,” he said.
He said the invasion had been on for years but recently became unbearable.
Olaleye appealed to the state government to urgently intervene.
A journalist, who lives in the community, Funmilola Gboteku, said the monkeys had forced her family to flee.
“Many times, these monkeys come to the neighbourhood to destroy our property. Once they see food items inside a house, they direct all their energies at gaining entrance forcefully.
“The monkeys are in the habit of tearing the protective nets on windows to gain entrance and eat whatever they find in the house. I have had to replace the protective nets several times; I am tired of doing it.
“I have been locking my windows but locking of windows has disadvantages; there is no cross ventilation in the house, and as result, we suffer heat,” she said.
Another resident, Gabriel Omopariwa, said he was tired of the destructive attitude of the monkeys and had tried to look for ways to stop them, to no avail.
“On several occasions, these monkeys have destroyed our kitchen nets to gain entrance and steal food items. Several traps have been set to capture and kill these demonic animals to no avail.
“One of my neighbours, while trying to pour chemical on a monkey, fell in the bowl of the chemical; she had to be rushed to a hospital. She still lives with the scars from the unfortunate incident,” he said.