10 Hotbeds Of Crime Every Lagos Resident Should Be Wary Of
There is a worrying increase in crime in Lagos, especially with the high rate of traffic gridlock in the state. In recent times, residents have been victims of a wide range of violent crime, with the most common being armed robbery, assault, carjacking, rape, kidnapping and extortion.
Armed robbers have targeted occupants in vehicles while smash-and-grab robberies are common in deserted areas at night. The prevalence of crimes in these areas of Lagos have caused them to be officially designated as dark spots by security agencies.
Newly appointed Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Hakeem Olusegun Odumosu had talked tough about fishing out all criminals in the state in November, saying “I have been in Lagos. I have the wealth of experience and I am going to deplore that residual knowledge to the crime pattern in Lagos and frantically attack it.
“I am coming to the table with measures to improve security in the State,” he added.
But many places remain hotbeds of crime in the state, causing major concerns for residents.
Here are some of the most notorious areas citizens should be very wary of due to recent occurrences:
1. Ikeja Underbridge
The mass of people moving in and around Ikeja makes it easier for residents to be targeted by pick-pockets and armed robbers, especially at night. Pickpockets in the area are known for deploying various cynical tactics to distract and dispossess their victims. Security operatives have advised residents to keep their devices away from view and avoid the area at night.
2. Ile Zik (Ikeja)
Many residents plying the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway have been victims of hoodlums who hang around this spot to pounce on unsuspecting commuters and rob them of their valuables. The hoodlums take advantage of the gridlock in the axis when residents are on their way home from work. They stretch their hands through public buses to snatch passengers’ phones and dash across the express.
Dem just snatch person phone comot from window at Ile Zik. Guys be careful o! Don't press phone and forget yourself especially when you're sitted by the window.
— Pappy (@aquanamatata) November 13, 2019
If you ply Lagos-Abeokuta expressway on a regular, please be careful around that Ile Zik junction where the buses join the BRT lane as some guys snatch phones at that spot.
— Bukola (@habukia) January 13, 2020
3. Oshodi Underbridge
This is a hotbed for miscreants who stay on their victims’ tail to dispossess them of their valuables. Many times, the hoodlums are armed with local pistol and knives as they viciously attack uncooperative victims. Residents are mostly advised to be vigilant and to stay away from the area at night. The presence of RRS operatives in the area has done a lot to curtail the rate of attacks but the hoodlums are always a foot away.
@rrslagos767 what has happened in RRS is there a change of guard. Robberies at Gbagada express, oworonshoki through Alapere to 7up, New rail-line bridge at by Guinness, Ikeja Along, Oshodi, Iyana Ipaja, RRS men and Bikers are completely missing please come to our rescue.
— Longman (@longyeto) December 19, 2019
4. Ifako-Gbagada
Back in December, the media was awash with the heartbreaking story of Moradeun Balogun, a 28-year-old lady who was stabbed on the neck by robbers in a deserted area. For years, the Ifako-Gbagada axis of Lagos has acted as home for armed hoodlums and citizens are advised to avoid walking alone at night.
5. Ojodu-Berger
This area has in the past weeks been one of the most notorious spots for criminals. A few days ago, a woman’s handbag containing a huge sum of money was snatched at gunpoint, but she was lucky to recover her valuables, as RRS operatives gave the robber a hot chase and apprehended him. The area is mostly dangerous at night.
6. Shomolu-Bariga
These two areas are regarded as having the highest number of street urchins in Lagos. Many residents leaving for work very early in the morning and returning late in the night have fallen victims to hoodlums who rob, maim and even rape their victims.
“Daylight robbery in Somolu Lagos. A friend who was coming back from school was robbed of his MacBook and iPhone Xs in Somolu, And people around just stood and watch,” one person, Ken Andrew, said on Twitter.
Daylight robbery in Somolu Lagos..
A friend who was coming back from school was robbed of his macbook and iphone xs in shomolu, And people around just stood and watch.. Omo this Lagos ain't safe anymore yo.— Kehinde Andrew 𓅓 (@iam_kenandrew) January 16, 2020
Residents in the areas have been advised to try as much as possible to avoid deserted areas during the dark hours of the day.
7. Mile 12
The influx of people in this axis because of the mass market makes it difficult to identify miscreants. As is common everywhere else, the hoodlums operate under the cover of the night to attack their victims with dangerous weapons. It is one of the places where security operatives have advised residents to exercise caution while going about their daily businesses.
8. Mile 2
This axis has recorded a high number of traffic robberies in the past months. Armed miscreants capitalise on the traffic gridlock to smash side windows and dispossess their victims of their valuables.
One of the victims of such attacks, Oluwakay, narrated her experience on Twitter a few months ago: “I experienced a robbery enroute mile two on the 23rd of October, 2019 in which my windscreen & two front door windows were smashed and my phone (because I wasn’t with my bag) was stolen,” she said.
@Gidi_Traffic someone told me that I ought to have reported to the police a robbery I experienced enroute mile two on the 23rd of October, 2019 in which my windscreen & 2 front door windows were smashed and my phone (cos I wasn't with my bag) was stolen. I asked y, he said…
— Oluwakay (@Kay1dbest) November 12, 2019
Another person, Afam Okeke said, “There has been several cases of arm robbery attack at mile 2. Yesterday they attacked my sister-in-laws Husband and even shot him on the lap. They stole his two phones, his driver’s phone, his laptop, work bag, 40k and 200 dollars.”
Residents have been advised to keep their valuables out of sight when in traffic to avoid attracting undue attention.
9. Ketu-Ojota
For some reason, the spate of robbery attacks in this area has increased in the past few months. In one scary incident a few months ago, two robbers robbed a man close to MKO Garden, Ojota with a machete and the robbers fled as he raised an alarm. One of the suspects was knocked down by a speeding vehicle and was caught by RRS operatives. Residents have complained about the displaced young men from the market as being culprits.
10. Igando
Igando has always been one of the identified hotspots in Lagos and robbery operations in the area have not ceased. Hoodlums in the area wield dangerous weapons and go as far as physically maiming their victims. People are warned to stay clear of this area, especially at night.
Citizens should be extremely wary about their surroundings as they go about their daily businesses and when caught in the web of an armed robbery attack, victims are advised to cooperate, as resistance may invite violence.
The distress number to call in case of robbery attacks is 767 or 112.
