Residents of Alaguntan in the
Iyano-Ipaja area of Lagos State have narrated how they found ways of security
their community from criminals.
The Chairlady of the Alaguntan Residents
and Landlord Association, Mrs Adetutu Abiodun Adeleke, said that she had to
sacrifice her time and comfort to come out between hours of 1:30am, 3:00am or
2: 00 am, to patrol the community alongside local security guards, just to
ensure that the community was safe and residents could sleep with their two
eyes close.
She said: “Sometimes, whenever local
guards catch a suspected criminal, they would put a call across to me, to come
and checkout the situation.”
She explained that most of the local
guards employed by the association were members of the Oodua People’s Congress
(OPC). She said that the OPC had been guarding the community for years and that
the residents had no cause to complain. This satisfaction, she said, was
because she and members of the association were very meticulous in selecting
security guards.
Adeleke said: “I consulted ex-military
men that worked with my husband before. We put heads together to confirm the
guards.”
A member of the community, who simply
identified himself as Mr Yemi, said: “The main objective of the CDA is
security, which we have been working on. Although the OPC guards are not
allowed to carry arms, they make use of machetes to secure the area. They do a
very good job.”
According to him, patrolling and
securing of streets started 12 years ago. He also spoke about the Lagos Neighbourhood
Safety Corps (LNSC), stressing that the corps had been very helpful in security
communities during daytime.
Another resident, Mr Paschal Nwokorie
revealed some of his encounters with the local guards.
He recalled that in November 1, while
returning from a church programme, he got to the community at about 3:00am. He
was stopped by the guards at the gate for questioning. He was only allowed to
go when they recognised him. He said he was impressed by their conduct and
diligence towards their work.
He said: “I was happy to discover that
even in my absence, they guarded my building as if I was at home.”
Pascal also spoke about the strange
sounds made by the guards. His words: “When I recently came to this area, the
clinging noise the guards made, by striking iron against iron, was quiet
disturbing, but this is my third year in the community and I no longer complain
about it. It’s for my safety.”
Mrs Nkiru Onyeneke, buttressing Pascal’s
point, said: “I can remember when my brother-in-law returned from Accra, Ghana,
very late with his wife and daughter. It was around 1: am. The guards at the
gate stopped them for questioning and decided to follow them to my house; just to
be sure they weren’t lying. Again, there was a day, at about 2: am, we heard a
noise in the area. It seemed like the security guards caught someone. Even my
husband had to come out with some men in our compound. When my husband came
back, he told me that the guards came out with sticks, knives and whatever they
had to protect themselves but there were no guns.”
The woman noted that residents do not
leave security of the community solely in the hands of the guards.
A petty trader, who sells kerosene and
condiments at the entrance to one of the streets, said: “Even though it is God
that protects us, we have to be security conscious and be our brother’s keeper.”
Another cheerful resident, who wishes to
remain anonymous, said he was happy with the operations of the local guards in
the community.
He said “Before I moved into any
community in Lagos Sate, I must be sure of its security. I have experienced
robbery and I didn’t like it at all; nobody does. This community has tried with
respect to security. At least I see people go to mosque early in the morning
without fear and others return from vigils without fear of being attack. Although,
we are being taxed for the security, let’s just see it as the little sacrifice
we contribute towards our safety and peace in the environment.”
In spite of the glowing reports, Adeleke
disclosed that there had been instances of thefts. This usually occurs after
the guards had gone home, to return at night, she said. The streets in the
community are secured with five gates and these gates protect the seven streets
under the watch of the chairlady.
Adeleke also appreciated the efforts of
the police in the community. According to her, the police had been supporting
the community by tackling security cases reported to them.
She advised citizens to be security
conscious and to know that security was not a one-person’s business, but a
collective one. She also cautioned residents to be careful while recruiting
security guards as some of the guards might be robbers or accomplices of
robbers.
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