Driving through some areas in Lagos is a nightmare. Almost on daily basis, residents of this city wake up to the stark realities of a highly populated city with inadequate security presence.
The situation is worsened by the high level of poverty ravaging the country which, in effect, constantly rears its ugly head in such a metropolitan city as Lagos.
Some of the areas that threaten lives of residents are found mostly in areas that are witnessing slow pace of infrastructure developments some of which seem to have been abandoned by the contractors.
A typical example of this scenario is the Lagos-Badagry Expressway (LBE) being reconstructed by the Lagos State government and handled by the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC).
The expansion of the 27-kilometer stretch of road into 10 lanes on both sides with accompaniment a rail line and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system was inherited by the incumbent government of Akinwunmi Ambode from the former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.
From the progress of work carried out so far, the present state administration appears committed to completing the massive and capital intensive project, but at the time of filing this report, CCECC has moved out of site.
This has resulted to untold hardship for road users with its negative effect on businesses and risks to human lives in the hands of criminal elements.
These have raised issues of protection of lives and the ability of the security agencies to up their game. Upon inception of the Ambode administration, a lot of emphasis and resources were invested in the security apparatus of the state.
However, the daily ugly experiences and loss of valuables to criminals on LBE have raised vital questions as to the impact of the purported attention given to security especially in such areas as Ojo, Badagry, Mushin, Ajegunle, Oshodi, Abule Egba, Ajah, Ikorodu, Epe just to mention a few.
One common denominator bonding these areas is that, they are areas where majority of the poor live and go about their daily activities. Worried by the nefarious activities of these restive segments of the city, efforts have been made by the government to refocus and retool the security outfit.
Among other strategic moves are the provision of logistics and other equipment like the purchase of brand new vehicles of various types and applications, power bikes, other motorised vehicles and communication equipment for use by the well trained members of the Lagos Neighbourhood Security Corps (LNSC).
In some areas, it is yet to be seen what all these efforts and huge commitment of resources have resulted to given the rate of both recorded and unrecorded criminal activities in the state.
For instance, between the Agboju or Festac Town 2nd Gate up to the International Trade Fair Complex and Okokomaiko where reports of smashing of windscreens by criminals in the night occurs whenever there is traffic at night, the axis houses the Military cantonment, described as the largest in West Africa, Onireke Police station, Ojo Police Station, Trade Fair Complex police division, the PPL police and the Okokomaiko police station are all located within that corridor.
This is apart from the existence of the Lagos Neighbourhood Security Corps (LNSC) and yet travelling home at the end of the day’s stressful job remains a nightmare.
And during these ungodly hours, what frustrated motorists and other highly exposed road users will be confronted with are retinue of policemen on the road waiting for drivers driving against traffic (one-way) to avoid falling into an attack that is even happening less than 500 meters or 1 kilometer away.
This has become a recurring decimal everyday between the Military cantonment, Ojo which is even directly opposite the Onireke Police station and Ojo Police division, yet the level of criminality within this axis, especially between Ojo barracks and Volkwagen of Nigeria, is alarming and calls for immediate and sustainable action to prevent loss of precious lives.
