So far, the coronavirus outbreak has infected almost 2 million people world-over, with over 100,000 deaths as at 14th April 2020. As the virus continues to wreak havoc on economies, authorities are implementing extreme measures, including travel bans, restrictions and lockdowns, to curb the spread. In Nigeria, the President extended the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT for another 14 days, noting that it is a difficult but the right decision to take.
Meanwhile, criminal activities, especially robbery, is on the rise as hoodlums become more daring by taking the law into their hands in the suburbs of Lagos and Ogun State. Expectedly, vigilante groups in Lagos and Ogun have also risen up to the occasion, judging by unconfirmed videos of jungle justice meted out to the ‘not so lucky robbers’ and petty thieves on social media.
Certainly, the only cure for coronavirus, for now, is the ‘stay at home’ order! Yet, this begs the question as to which is deadlier, the disease or the cure? So far, Nigeria has reported only 10 coronavirus deaths, but the number of causalities linked to the lockdown, mob action or jungle justice probably out-compete the virus. For us, a holistic view of the situation will continue to favour of lockdown to avoid overwhelming the health care system, however, we argue that the government must scale-up its security apparatus to ensure the safety of lives and property of the people and prioritize Lagos, Ogun, the FCT in the scheme of its palliative measures.
United Capital Research
