Corona virus pandemic has hit several countries and has had several negative impacts on the lives of the people. Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa, fighting the pandemic and trying to find solutions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
After recording several cases of Corona virus, the government implemented a lock-down policy on March 30 in Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun to mitigate its spread. However, the policy has led to an increased crime rate in the stated regions. Some people are taking advantage of the situation and conducting robberies in affected areas. Since most people are indoors and are unwilling to leave their houses, it creates a good opportunity for the crime does to perform different attacks.
Residents of areas like Lagos have begun forming vigilante groups aiming to guard their properties from the increased cases of robberies. Kolawole, a resident in Lagos, states how he spent his night outside guarding his home with a machete from robbers who had targeted their street. The robbers are fully armed with machetes and iron rods, ransack houses, steal valuables and injure several residents who try to fight back. Residents from the areas facing the lock-down did bulk shopping and purchases; therefore, most homes are fully stocked. The areas have, thus become easy targets for robberies and killings.
The attacks have been going on for a while, raising alarm on the effectiveness of the policy. The government recognized the increasing rates of crime during the lock down and have made approximately 200 arrests related to the issue. People are urged to watch out for one another and engage in activities that will aid in curbing the Covid-19 spread.
The policies are meant for protecting the public instead of harming them, though, with the policy, it seems the vice versa is happening. People are taking advantage of the situation to benefit themselves, without considering risks associated with exposing oneself to the virus or contact with many people. The public should focus on protecting themselves from the pandemic instead of harming one another and spreading violence.
Attached to this are supporting tweets to this article
They Have Their Job, But They Are Doing Police Job Now.
To All The Politicians Who Contributed In The Failure Of This Country NIGERIA Since 1960 Till Date … Their Generation Will Never Know Peace#OgunUnrest
#LagosUnrest pic.twitter.com/ubwrJs8re1
— DmL LFC✨ (@ii_am_dml) April 12, 2020
Chat with a friend of mine in Lagos some minutes ago#LagosUnrest pic.twitter.com/ui6dRTV5Ey
— Elikor Benson 🇳🇬 (@ElikorBenson) April 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/danny_walterr/status/1249425588303134728?s=21
