Lagos slum residents ask government to tackle insecurity

Residents of Makoko in the Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos State are currently gripped with fear over the activities of hoodlums in the community.

During a visit to the community on Friday, our correspondent learnt that the community is occupied by fierce-looking louts who parade the community, causing fear among residents, especially at night.

A resident who identified himself as Harrison Eze lamented the security situation in the community.

Eze said, “They are always under the influence of drugs. There are days when they kill people. They fight here daily. There are days that I will not be at home but the next thing I will hear is that they killed somebody or somebody got injured.

“Makoko is not a safe place, especially for children. Children tend to learn what they see. As a father, I already know what is good for my children.”

Another resident who simply identified himself as Peter appealed to the state government to come to their aid.

“I am sure the government knows how dangerous the community is, especially for young ones. They should please help us even if it is to provide vigilante men in the community to help curb the social menace,” he said.

A trader identified as Iya Bunmi attributed the security challenges in the community to the intake of hard drugs.

“Some youths in the community resort to taking hard drugs and they commit all manner of crimes at the end of the day,” Iya Bunmi said.

When contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hudeyin, asked residents to always report security challenges to security agencies.

“We have a saying that says if you see something, say something. I advise the people of Makoko that they should always bring the issue to the notice of the police and security agencies.

“They should also inform their Divisional Police Officer. I have their DPO’s number so they can call me and we can always work hand-in-hand to reduce the rate of insecurity in the area,” he said.