Waziri B Adisa
University of Lagos, Nigeria
Tunde A Alabi
University of Lagos, Nigeria and University of Cape Town, South Africa
Johnson Ayodele
Lead City University, Nigeria
Franca Attoh
University of Lagos, Nigeria
Samuel O Adejoh
University of Lagos, Nigeria
Abstract
Violence or its threats have been a part of many African cities since the end of the Cold War, when
many African countries transited from military to civilian rule. While the incidence of organised
crime and violent victimisation of innocent citizens is not new to many West African cities, the
emergence of terrorist organisations, armed bandits, kidnappers and armed gangs in a city like
Lagos has created new security challenges. The challenges include the inability of government to
cope with the rising number of young people in organised cult clashes and the threats to peace and
stability in Lagos metropolis. This study is designed to investigate the influence of sociodemographic
(senatorial district, gender, age, ethnic group, marital status, education, employment,
duration of residency and type of apartment) and community factors (presence of nightclubs/hotels, use of private security and frequency of police patrol) on residents’ experience
of crime victimisation, robbery and organised crime. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey
design and a quantitative method of data collection. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit
information from 300 respondents across three senatorial districts of Lagos State. The study found
that factors such as location, type of apartment, nightclubbing, duration of residence, employment
status and use of private security predicted at least one of the three dependent variables. The
implications of the findings are discussed.
Keywords
Victimisation, robbery, organised crime, Lagos metropolis, nightclubbing, location
Introduction
Violent crimes allegedly caused or perpetrated by organised criminal groups have been on the
increase around the world since the end of the Cold War, especially in theWest African sub-region
where the state is unable to guarantee the security of lives and property. For decades since the end of
the Cold War, the West African sub-region has remained the hub of organised crime such as illicit
arms trading, drug peddling, trading in human parts, human trafficking and advance fee fraud. The
region is also host to deadly terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS, Ansanru and Al Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb. At different times, these groups have launched attacks in a number of countries,
including Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Mali. The activities of these groups have now
altered the nature of armed conflict and victimisation in the region since the end of the Cold War
(International Crisis Group, 2016; Mazzitelli, 2007; Meredith, 2005; Pantucci and Jesperson, 2015).
Corresponding author:
Tunde A Alabi, Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
Email: taalabi@unilag.edu.ng