It is no longer news that Lagos State, commercial hub of the nation during this mandatory lockdown occasioned by Covid-19 has been bedevilled with series of attacks by hoodlums on exasperated motorists and in private homes.
This afternoon, I received a heart-rending news from one of my mentors (name withheld) and the news almost got him emotional whilst sharing it on phone.
He hinted that his uncle who lives somewhere in Lekki axis of Lagos today went to the hospital to get his medication and that while his uncle was driving back home he was waylaid by some gang of roaming hoodlums seizing the coronavirus lockdown to unleash terror in the State.
Despite his health challenge and his age he had to run for his life when the approach of the gang was becoming conspicuously violent and uncomfortable for him to bear. He succeeded in jumping out of his vehicle and escaped their trap but his range rover SUV was not spared, it was not only stripped and emptied but also vandalized by the irate mob.
This is what our society has turned into, the poor are now ‘eating the rich’ to survive even in broad daylight and not putting into cognizance the consequences, risks or danger associated with their actions, only to be using hunger, corruption in government and anger as their reasons.
This is the time government needs to be swift in the delivery of its stimulus package to reach the poor-of-the-poor, most vulnerable and even the deviant and restive youths in the nation in order to avoid break down of law and order of larger proportion. The law enforcement agents may be trying their best anyway, but we cannot also afford to shy away from the current realities which we are currently privy to.
While we want the government to nip the current social vices in the bud by providing accessible socio-economic and welfare safety nets as well as adequate security, the citizenry also need to be more responsible and careful in their conducts. This is not the period to flaunt your latest SUVs, Rolls Royce, etc in your car garage; neither is it a time to display your expensive wrist watches, phones shoes, bags etc.
Please stay at home, do family bonding, read, sleep, exercise in your compound. If it became necessary for you to go out, please wear simple and less expensive dress, if possible wear bathroom slippers, try not to look so ‘ostentatious’ so that you wont gain unnecessary attention or attraction which could possibly get you into bigger trouble especially at a time like this. The poor are angry, violent and could be vicious.
Choose your friends wisely, and be circumspect, be cautious of images and videos you populate on the social media and also distance yourself from seditious, defamatory or inflammatory comments.
Let us help ourselves first before we encumbered government with too muc
h interventions and emergency responses. God bless Nigeria!
-Ajibulu, a journalist and social activist, lives in Lagos
