The subtle responses to growing insecurity by Lagos residents was brought to the fore recently when Anifowoshe Landlords/Residents Association installed an iron gate on a pedestrian bridge across the railway line at Ikeja Along, opposite Ajayi Farm Bus Stop in Lagos. Ironically, the residents also have gates at the entrances to their streets.

The experience is the same across many neighbourhoods in Lagos, whether on the Island or Mainland. In these communities, residents are taking security into their own hands by erecting iron gates at the entrances of their streets or Close, including places many used to take as shortcuts to their destinations. In some cases, the pedestrian shortcut routes have been shut permanently with gates.

The street gates often manned by local guards, in most cases, have become a common sight as communities attempt to shield themselves from criminal activities.

And when dusk falls in many neighbourhoods across the city, heavy iron gates shut streets that were once open to traffic during the day.

This grassroots security strategy is expanding even as private corporations and wealthy individuals continue to donate billions of naira to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, a public-private initiative created to strengthen policing and security operations in the state. The trend raises a troubling question: Why are communities increasingly relying on private arrangements for safety despite sustained investments in security infrastructure by government and the private sector?

A resident, Segun Ojo, said Lagos State government also said that erection of gates across streets is not permitted without approval and that where it is erected, it should not be closed before 10pm.

“But many residents are flaunting that order. Once it is 7pm, some of the gates become closed to non-residents and it takes going through a long protocol to go in. And that is only possible if on a visit and not a thoroughfare. But the issue is getting worse as more residents are mounting gates and barriers with many streets and gated streets becoming estates that no matter the time of the day, you cannot pass through.

“You cannot blame residents because since the government failed to provide security, they have taken their fate into their own hands. It costs many of these community development associations to maintain the security checks because aside from the gates, there are at least three security guards on duty during a shift. It is usually between two to three shifts.”

Ojo stated that the Lagos State government and the Police Command need to do better in policing the state. “Officers that should be providing security are moving around major roads in mini buses looking for people to bully. Along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, a large number of officers are usually stationed around Iganmu Bridge, Orile, Mile 2 Iyana-Iba. When they accost residents, usually young boys and girls, it is often about how to extort them, using subtle threats and time wasting.”

Another resident, Benjamin Ayodele, said the Police in Lagos should do more in securing the state, while also urging the state government to invest more in security.

“Lagos State government makes huge revenue from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). It also has the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, which gets a lot of donations from private companies and wealthy individuals. But how much of its impact do residents get with the level of crime that goes on.

“I often pity many private organisations who donate to LSSTF as many of their drivers and officers often contend with miscreants. When a company’s vehicle breaks down, whether car or truck, come and see how these boys would swoop on the driver and they must bribe these boys. There is also the issue of wanting to mount something in communities, including on major roads, and the boys will demand money to erect the structure or pole and money to secure it, if not they will threaten to damage it. And if the company fails to give these miscreants money, they will damage it almost immediately or will not allow the company to mount the pole or structure, even if they show they have approval from the state government,” he said.

Ayodele said many neighbourhoods are feeling insecure, which is why they mount all manner of gates and barriers at the entrance of their streets and corridors.

“I visited Magodo recently and I was surprised that despite the huge screening at the main gate, many of the streets within Magodo have started erecting gates with security guards doing another round of screening to gain access. It just tells you the level of insecurity the people battle with and it is not limited to the place.”

For Deborah Bassey, these roads and streets are supposed to be government owned, but they were either constructed, re-constructed or maintained by the residents over time, which makes it look like it does not belong to the public.

“Why on earth will people just mount all manner of gates and barriers on public roads?” she asked. But you cannot blame them when the government they pay all manner of taxes to has failed them and hides under the slogan that government alone cannot do it to cover up its failure,” Bassey said.