Posted by Harry Nwana - hap-nwana@yahoo.co.uk on
Crime, in all its ramifications, and magnitude, is escalating in Lagos. Guns of all descriptions are in wrong hands....
Crime, in all its ramifications, and magnitude, is escalating in Lagos. Guns of all descriptions are in wrong hands. The affluent are licensed to own and carry guns. The ordinary man is not. Insecurity of life and property has, accordingly also risen.
The Police, recently, informed Lagos dwellers and visitors that they are not unaware of the sad development but are coping as much as their handicaps in staff and equipment have allowed. They would, however, draw the attention of the public to extremely unsafe areas of Lagos, for which the need for special care scan not be overstated.
The most dreaded hot spots which should, if possible, be avoided are (i) OJU-LUA in central Lagos. The police warns that this area hosts a concentration of banks and multinational companies which attract criminals. It is the business hob of armed robbers and smash and grab hoodlums. They are usuallyalways on hard drugs and hemp to gain courage.
OLUWOLE is a forgery centre. Cheats and pick pockets thrive there. Most forgery crimes are traced to OLUWOLE, situated close to old Kingsway Stores. A document that cannot be forged at OLUWOLE does not exist. 419 practitioners patronise OLUWOLE.
IDUMOTA is notorious for fake products. If you buy a gold wrist-watch there, you are likely to be taking home mere gravels for gold. Their imitation are so perfect that one must be a genius, or perhaps one of them, to know the difference.
APONGBON has now assumed the dishonourable role of harbouring social outcasts and criminals. After dusk, to walk the streets bordering Apongbon Street, or to be under Apongbon bridge, is an invitation for trouble. You will be robbed brazenly, and if you seek help, you are most likely to get it from a criminal collaborator, or hardened convict just out of jail. CMS is progressively tending toward the Apongbon disrepute.
MAROKO SAND BEACH Families of fun seekers troop to this beautiful alternative to Bar Beach but the police discovery is that it has been taken over by dangerous robbers and other criminal groups, who have no other job outside searching for opportunities to steal, snatch bags and rape. Traffic movements, particularly taxis which ply in the Ajah axis, are not all on honest missions. Passengers are warned to choose their transportations carefully.
EMPIRE on the mainland, is a familiar den of prostitutes and robbers. That area once housed the criminally active Empire Hotel, and Fela's Shrine. It is considered very unsafe, especially at night, to be loitering around there, according to police findings.
YABA AND OYINGBO BUS STOPS. They have a reputation for nursing and breeding criminals of all types from the snick to the brazen.
IKEJA UNDER-BRIDGE The police alert says that this is a dangerous spot because of its smash and grab modus operandi. GSM thieves congregate there on daily parades. Most stolen items change hands there.
IPODO. Police do not recommend lpodo and its immediate environs to anybody who wants a peaceful and crime-free neighbourhood. 24 hours of crime and debauchery is guaranteed here.
PEN CINEMA. Criminals on this bit are noted for homicide. Guns and other dangerous weapons are freely used to accomplish this. Police advise honest men to steer clear of the zone after business hours. Travellers are particularly warned to be very careful where they start or end their travels.
AKALA is in Mushin area of Lagos. There is always crime and restiveness in Akala. This is sparked off by hooligans who, in the process, endanger innocent passers by. The causes of the regular lawlessness in these areas are not often clear. This endangers the security of the neighbourhood from time to time.
IJORA 7UP, OKO-OBA, OKE-OWO/AKERELE areas were also implicated in these warnings. Anybody who knows Lagos very well will agree that these warnings confirm that much of Lagos is unsafe for business and habitation. The rest of Nigeria is very much the same. Aba is so jeopardous that its inhabitants are fast relocating. Enugu was not different some months ago; perhaps still is. A friend at Owerri is still recovering from wounds inflicted on him when robbers came calling in his home. Onitsha has never been known as a safe haven for holiday makers. It is saturated with criminals. In all parts of the North criminals abound, most of them, violent.
The truth of the matter is that Nigeria is under siege and Nigerians must understand it. Security is no longer guaranteed.' Anything the populace can do to help the police will be welcome. Fighting crime is a job for all of us. We should not leave it entirely to the police.