Crime
Insecurity: Fear of attack grips Lagos, Abuja, PH
Residents and security experts say such foreigners could turn easy tools in the hands of terrorists.
The concentration of the aliens is pronounced in the highbrow parts of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kaduna, according to an investigation by our reporters.
In Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Banana Island, Ikeja GRA and Magodo in Lagos as well as Maitama, Asokoro and Guzape in Abuja, for example, the gates of many of the houses are manned by such foreigners.
Some uncompleted houses and those under construction in those areas are also largely occupied by them.
When they are less busy, those on a particular street will usually gather in groups discussing or eating.
Some of the foreigners serve as maids and servants. But because many of them speak passable English or pidgin English, have accent similar to what obtains in some parts of Nigeria, and seem to have assimilated the Nigerian culture, it is sometimes difficult to identify them.
A civil servant, John Adeyemo, who lives in Asokoro, Abuja is not comfortable with the disposition of some of them.
He said he knows a lot of other residents of the area who live in fear on account of the security situation in the FCT and the vulnerability of the foreigners to be used as tools by terrorists.
Adeyemo charged the government to document such people and monitor them.
“The security situation in Abuja calls for concern and the security agencies need to double up. We are living in fear and no one knows who,” he said.
A resident of Maitama, Abuja, who does not want his name in print, said though some of the security guards are good, some are not living up to expectations in line with their security job.
He said: “The security situation is worrisome. Imagine employing a security guard that is not a Nigerian and you do not know where he comes from. Government should intervene and we should have their data for records purposes.
“When residents of the capital city of a country not only move around with a sense of foreboding and fear but also feel uncertain about the capacity of the authorities to deal with the challenge, there is a problem.”
A resident of one of the estates at Atamkpe, Abuja, who preferred to be called Jane, said the foreigners in that part of the FCT usually start with looking for menial jobs especially at building sites, and once they succeed would move into any uncompleted building they can find around.
She said: “Their numbers continue to swell. Although they are not constituting any nuisance, we need to be careful now in view of what is currently happening in the country. It is very important to know who your neighbour is.”
Mr. Ola Oyewole, a business man who lives in Asokoro, Abuja and employed a Ghanaian as security guard, had nice things to say about his employee of 10 years.
But he expressed support for documentation of foreign guards, saying: “The issue of having the data of security guards especially foreigners is a welcome development for security purposes. I am also very careful with my security guard. I don’t expose him to my secrets.”
Some residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, charged security agencies to beam their searchlight on the activities of men from Niger whose wives and children beg for alms in day time.
A lady, who identified herself simply as Nengi, said they could be found around Agip, Waterline and other parts of Port Harcourt insisting that in view of the security situation in the country, such persons should be monitored.
She said: “During the day, you see their children and wives begging for alms but you won’t see their men. The men only surface in the night. I feel that their activities should be monitored.
“Besides, there is hunger in town and such condition can make them become willing tools to persons who want to breach the security.”
While employment of foreigners as mai guard is not particularly new in the Lagos metropolis, the large presence of such people, especially in the highbrow areas, is causing anxiety.
There is hardly any street in such places that does not have up to 12 foreign guards.
Some landlords in the densely populated areas of the city also have such foreigners guarding them and their families all day. But some of them are already having a rethink.
Alhaji Hakeem Owolabi, who has a property at Meiran, Alagbado said: “Many of us who are landlords are skeptical about giving our houses or frontage to aliens because of the reports linking them to violent attacks.
“Also, we no longer hire them as security guards to stave off a situation whereby things would get out of hand or go beyond control.”
A resident of Ikeja, Adewale Johnson, bemoaned the influx of some foreign nationals in places like Oregun, Ogba, Ojota, Alausa and Maryland among others.
“The number of these people has increased significantly over the years. If you want to verify my claims, please visit Oregun, Ojodu, Ojota, Ogba, Maryland and Alausa, among others.
“Most of them work as guards in companies, residential buildings and sleep in open spaces and shelter provided by their employers and benefactors.
“With threats of attack by Boko Haram in Lagos, residents and property owners feel that the large presence of these people may be inimical to peace and security of the environment because they cannot be traced in the event that they perpetrate heinous crime and flee.”
The Nigeria Police Force has placed its formations nationwide on red alert following intelligence reports of planned terrorist attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other public places.
The alert followed fresh intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on vulnerable targets across the country.
Police authorities also reportedly received intelligence on the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
The operational order was contained in a police wireless message dated September 13, 2026, with reference number CB: 0900/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL38/68, issued by the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Marked “Security General” and tagged “Treat as Very Important,” the message was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The police directed formations to intensify vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent criminal and terrorist elements from carrying out attacks.
The warning specifically highlighted places of worship, educational institutions, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable public locations as potential targets.
A 16-year-old boy, Favour Ayogu, who was allegedly abducted in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been rescued in Onitsha, Anambra State, after his abductors reportedly abandoned him near a security checkpoint.
Ayogu was rescued on the evening of September 13, 2026, by a joint security patrol team operating along Oguta Road, Onitsha.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, the teenager was found at Ekene Junction after unidentified persons reportedly pushed him out of a black Toyota Highlander SUV close to a security checkpoint.
The patrol team immediately intervened and rescued the victim, thereby preventing what the police described as further danger to his life.
Following the rescue, the Command said it had intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend members of the suspected criminal gang responsible for the abduction.
The police also appealed to residents of Igboeze South and Ibagwa-Aka in Enugu State who may have useful information about Ayogu or his family to contact the nearest police station or the Anambra State Police Command in Awka.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the security personnel involved in the rescue and directed officers to sustain strategic checkpoints, intelligence-led patrols and coordinated security operations across the state.
The Command assured residents and visitors that it would continue to intensify efforts to prevent criminal elements from using Anambra as a safe haven.
At least nine passengers have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack reportedly occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the bus, which was travelling towards Jos, stopped at the junction to drop off some passengers.
Several other passengers were reportedly injured in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Lawan Suleiman, a neighbour and teacher of one of the victims, identified the driver as Ibrahim and said three of the victims were from his community in Bukuru.
“The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial,” Suleiman said.
The bus was reportedly riddled with bullets, with bloodstains visible inside the vehicle after the attack.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle.
Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow.
“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives,” he said.
He added that some passengers sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospitals, while some of the injured reportedly later died.
The attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of commuters travelling along the route at night amid continuing security challenges in parts of Plateau State.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.
In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.
CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.
He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.
The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.
He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.
The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the death of a man who was allegedly stabbed by a suspected attacker after Friday prayers in Sokoto.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Rufa’i Ahmad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the deceased was among those involved in the incident that followed the stabbing of prominent Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukuwa.
According to Ahmad, the suspect used a knife to stab Lukuwa in the stomach immediately after the Jumu’at congregation.
He said the suspect was subsequently killed by a mob, while Lukuwa was rushed to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he is receiving treatment.
The PPRO added that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, saying the situation was under control and urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
The incident reportedly followed allegations that Lukuwa made remarks considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad, which had generated anger among some Muslim faithful.
A Sokoto-based gangster, Dahiru Maibarewa, had also reportedly threatened to kill Lukuwa over the alleged remarks, while demonstrations had taken place in parts of Sokoto metropolis.
NAN further reported that a coalition of Islamic groups had petitioned the Sokoto State Government and security agencies, calling for action against Lukuwa over remarks they described as capable of provoking violence.
At a September 4 press conference, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Yagawal urged Muslims to oppose what he described as blasphemous content by clerics, while calling for peaceful coexistence.
Yagawal, Leader of the National Sufi Council of Nigeria and a National Commissioner at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), said Lukuwa’s alleged utterances were unbecoming and capable of triggering violence among Muslim communities.
He said the coalition had called on the Federal and Sokoto State governments, as well as security agencies, to investigate and take appropriate action over the matter.
-
News20 hours agoSept. 26 Polls: ‘ENSIEC is over 90% ready’ – Chairman
-
Politics24 hours ago2027: Odii: I’ll Attract ₦2tn Investment to Ebonyi in Six Months
-
News4 days agoFCC Urges Enugu Youths to Prepare for Federal Job Opportunities
-
Crime1 day ago
Gunmen Attack Commercial Bus, Kill Nine Passengers
-
Crime2 days agoEnugu Police Probe Alleged Disruption of Political Gatherings, Warn Against Violence
-
News2 days agoHotel Building Collapses in Enugu Kills One, Traps Workers
-
News19 hours agoCommissioner Dies Suddenly at Abuja Hospital
-
News1 day agoWhy Nigerian Leaders Should Spend Vacations at Home – Ebonyi Reps Candidate