A human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, yesterday, appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu to review his directives on street gates in Lekki Phase One and environs,

Adegboruwa, in the appeal, noted that the 1999 Constitution in Section 14(2)(a) makes security and welfare of the people the primary purpose of government. To this end, he said, the government must do all it can to secure the life and property of the people.

According to him, in the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, Lekki Phase I witnessed an unprecedented influx of criminals and street urchins, who pounced on helpless residents and looted their assets. He said the only people that were spared that invasion were those that had street gates mounted at the entrance of their residential areas. According to him, this encouraged other residents to develop the idea of street gates.

He said: “The second reason behind the street gates is the massive influx of commercial entities, cart pushers, street urchins, itinerant professional beggars and environmental pollutants.

“As responsible citizens, the affected residents approached the Lagos State Government for permission to erect these gates and they were granted in writing, in some cases upon payment of some prescribed fees and in abiding with some regulations as to the time and duration of locking and opening of these gates.

“In the past three years, security in Lekki Phase I estate has improved drastically, partly due to these street gates and collaboration between the residents, the government and the relevant security agencies.

“On a particular day when the President was visiting Lagos for his 2023 Christmas holidays, the traffic in the Lagos Island and Lekki Phase I areas was at a snail speed, causing motorists and commuters to spend hours on the road.

“Somehow, a wrong information was fed to the government that the cause of the traffic was the street gates mounted in Lekki Phase I. In an operation that was executed in commando style, street gates in Lekki Phase I were dismantled and carted away by officials of the Lagos State Government. This has left the neighbourhood porous and many residents exposed.”

He added: “The talk about the aesthetics of Lekki Phase I cannot be a reason to leave residents in this dangerous condition. Had the government succeeded in providing adequate security for the citizens, there would be no need for self help by the people to secure protection. A man must first be alive and safe for him to appreciate aesthetics.

“My appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is to work with the Lekki Phase I Residents Association to achieve a workable arrangement that will guarantee security and safety of life and property in the vast estate. It is not proper that the government is the one compromising the security of its own citizens and exposing them to avoidable danger.”