Residents of Abesan Estate in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State have taken a bold step to address the rising insecurity in their community. During a security summit held on Thursday, the community unveiled a N500 million fundraising campaign aimed at tackling the increasing cases of kidnapping, robbery, and other criminal activities.
The President of the Abesan Estate Residents’ Association, Michael Kehinde, highlighted the dire security situation in the estate. He mentioned several incidents of kidnapping, “one-chance” robbery, theft, burglary, and drug peddling that have plagued the community. Kehinde shared personal anecdotes, including the story of Engineer Kennedy, who was robbed and tortured after boarding a Lagos State-painted vehicle, and another resident who was attacked and robbed along with other passengers on a commercial bus.
Kehinde also noted that his wife was robbed by unidentified gunmen, and two young women lost job opportunities due to attacks on their way to an interview. The urgency of the situation has prompted the residents to seek a lasting solution through the fundraising campaign, which will be used to enhance security infrastructure and reforms in the area.
Bisola Ogunyanwo, the Coordinator of the Abesan Development Group, attributed the security breakdown to the influx of commercial motorcyclists and scavengers operating illegally in the area. He mentioned that vehicles were stolen from the premises of the fire service station, and various other crimes such as theft of borehole pumps, flats break-ins, and vandalism of cars were common.
Ogunyanwo described the estate as becoming increasingly dangerous due to the lack of security and its porous nature. He emphasized the need for a monitoring system to curb the illegal operations of motorcycles, tricycles, minibuses, and Danfo buses in the area.
In response to the residents’ concerns, the Secretary to the Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area, Ayo Orimolade, assured that the LCDA would collaborate with the residents to address the security issues. Orimolade mentioned that the LCDA had provided stipends to security operatives to support their operations and ensure that all areas of the LCDA are monitored.
