Monkeys now steal food in Lagos community
The monkeys are quick, they are also very hungry. They stop at nothing to gain access into homes. But where do they come from, and how is this possible? Residents give their accounts. “A tenant hasn’t been able to sleep in her house for fear of monkeys. Anytime she doesn’t close her windows before going […]
The monkeys are quick, they are also very hungry. They stop at nothing to gain access into homes. But where do they come from, and how is this possible? Residents give their accounts.
“A tenant hasn’t been able to sleep in her house for fear of monkeys. Anytime she doesn’t close her windows before going out of the house, they enter by using their sharp nails to cut the net, eat what is available, throw leftovers on the bed, play with the children’s toys, mess up the house, then leave. For safety reasons, she could not stay.”
That was the account of a former Chairman of the Sosanya Street Landlords Association, Alhaji Adigun Olaleye, who has lived on Sosanya Street since 1980.
The residents of Soluyi, Sosanya, Solaru, and Dapo said they have been tolerating the animals for over 14 years.
Our reporter observed a thick bush at Estaport Avenue, off Soluyi Street, where the monkeys, according to residents, live. From there, they are said to move in multitudes to different parts of the area seeking for food and relaxation spots.
“Before now, they didn’t enter houses,” Olaleye said. “Rather, they feasted on fruits available on trees. Whenever a tree produced enough fruits, they would move in large numbers to devour them and move on. We had to cut the trees.”
A member of the Olaleye family recounted her experience: “I sell eggs in crates and the delivery person drops them three houses away. Now, once I start taking the crates, one after the other, the monkeys follow me to know where I drop them. Whenever I decide to go check the eggs, I observe some are missing. I have caught the monkeys in the act. One of them can decide to take three eggs in one hand and two eggs in the other. Walking on two feet, they move away to distribute the eggs to others.
“After some time, I started putting my eggs in the living room, where I can always monitor them. But the monkeys have never stopped trying because they will climb up to the first floor, where we reside, to take the eggs. I close the sliding door quickly, but they keep parading the balcony in a desperate move to grab the eggs. After some time, they leave. Sometimes, they gain access into the house, enter the kitchen and eat from our cooked food and leave remnants. We have to throw away the leftovers to avoid Ebola and any other disease that could emanate from them.”
Chika Wigwe, who lives at the end of the street said, “They don’t eat just anything; they eat cooked food. As far as your food smells, you are inviting them. They will come in and take away your pot of food, even if it’s hot.
“The monkeys didn’t just start coming today. They have been around for some time. The only difference is that before now, they weren’t entering people’s houses to take food. But now, it seems they are hungrier.”
The security operatives guarding the street gate noted that the monkeys only disturb houses where there is food, and also cool off in abandoned or uncompleted houses where people are not residing.