Gangs terrorised Africa’s largest city in coronavirus lockdown. Vigilantes responded
- Gangs like ‘One Million Boys’ defy police in violent crime sprees in Lagos, a city of 20 million
- Communities created vigilante groups to protect their neighbourhoods during lockdown period
Midnight gunshots in early April in Abule-Egba, a densely populated district in Nigeria’s largest city of Lagos, startled Victor Osadiaye. He stood by his window, watching the scenes unfold in the street outside his home. The violent robbery ended about 20 minutes later.
“I have never seen anything like this all my life. It was like war,” he said. “Not just me, everyone was shocked because this doesn’t always happen.”
A small crowd of men, women and children gathered in his neighbourhood later that morning, he recalled, and the local community made plans to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.
However, Abule-Egba wasn’t the only community targeted by the armed gangs. Since Nigeria’s first lockdown was announced on March 30, crimes soared in places like Lagos – the largest commercial city in Africa with 20 million residents. Low income and densely populated neighbourhoods have been worst-hit.
In the Aguda area about 30km away from Osadiaye’s home, Ebere Grace had become aware of a notice circulated by the notorious gang known as “One Million Boys”, warning her street’s residents they would be coming to collect valuables including phones, laptops, even food. To resist or inform police would be met with violence, the gang warned.