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BY YUSUF BABALOLA
If a public uprising ever erupts in Nigeria, Lagos may be its epicentre. The conduct of Security Agents, particularly traffic enforcement officers, is fueling growing frustration.
Instead of safeguarding the people, they are often accused of intimidation, humiliation, and extortion.
Nigerians today are more volatile than before the COVID-19 era. Back then, survival was tough but bearable. Now, inflation, forex pressures, and soaring living costs have stretched citizens beyond endurance.
In such conditions, every act of oppression by Security Agents cuts deeper, leaving society tense and fragile.
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These officers often carry out arrests in Gestapo-like fashion abrupt, forceful, and humiliating.
Ordinary citizens become prey on the streets, eroding public trust in government authority. If unchecked, such actions could ignite unrest.
The Lagos State government must note the dangers. Repeated excesses by LASTMA, VIOs, and task force officers are pushing people toward a breaking point.
Societal patience is not infinite; constant injustice eventually sparks rebellion.
A chilling case emerged in November 2024, when a commercial driver doused himself, his bus, and a LASTMA officer in flames. The true motive remains unclear, but the act symbolised deep frustration. The driver’s desperation was a stark warning that Lagos cannot ignore.
Another confrontation erupted this week at Mile 2 involving VIO officers. This hotspot has long been marked by clashes between motorists and enforcement teams. Earlier reforms under former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had promised technology-driven enforcement to reduce human interference. Sadly, old habits of harassment and intimidation have resurfaced, fueling more tension.
Of course, commercial drivers are not innocent. Reckless driving and traffic violations are common. Yet the solution is not brute force. Lagos deserves modern, technology-driven systems: cameras, automated ticketing, and digital enforcement. These would improve compliance while reducing opportunities for extortion by Security Agents.
What Lagos does not need is a vicious cycle of provocation, retaliation, and chaos. The tragedies at Mile 2 and the 2024 fire incident are warnings of a greater danger: citizens losing patience.
Governance must wear a human face, especially now when inflation, insecurity, and unemployment weigh heavily on daily life. Security Agents must be trained not only in enforcement but also in empathy and restraint.
If Lagos continues on this path of high-handedness, it risks sparking a fire that no one can contain. Uniforms should symbolise service, not oppression. The government must act urgently and decisively before its own Security Agents push citizens into open revolt.
Yusuf Babalola, journalist, writes from Lagos.
babalolayusufabiola@gmail.com | 08117067043
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