•Says there is nothing to be afraid of  

•LCCI: Businesses suffered 33% loss in revenues to insecurity in Abuja

Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Lagos, AIG Fayoade Adegoke, said the influx of people from the northern parts of the country into Lagos and other parts of southern Nigeria posed no security challenge to life and property.

Adegoke made the clarification yesterday during the “2025 LCCI Security Meets Business Dialogue Series”, organised by Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

He urged Nigerians to be vigilant and conscious of happenings in their neighbourhoods.

The AIG said, “People are scared seeing large influx of people from the north to the south. But I do not think that there is anything to be afraid of.

“All that we need to do is to be vigilant. We need to know what is happening around us and be security conscious. You do not need to feel unsafe.”

He said the intruders or marauders would not have it easy because they were coming to a place that was very organised, adding that there “is a lot we can do to contain the terrorists through application of technology, like drones, to stop those people”.

He also advised employers of domestic staff and those welcoming people to pass the night in their homes to be wary.

Adegoke stated, “Any time that we are employing domestic aids, we must not employ them in a hurry. But subject them to thorough vetting because we do not trust anybody these days.

“Everyone is so desperate to make quick money out of anything. It will be very dangerous to allow them to take advantage of you because some of them will go to the extent of killing their masters. So, we have to be careful who we put in our house and who sleeps.”

In his welcome address, President of LCCI, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, declared that businesses operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, suffered 33 per cent loss in revenues between January 2023 and January 2024 due to rising insecurity, including kidnappings and violent crimes in Bwari and Kuje.

Idahosa said transport fares in the region surged by up to 250 per cent, while estate security fees rose by 20 per cent, underscoring how deeply insecurity inflates the cost of doing business and daily living in some parts of Nigeria.

He added that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s December 2024 Business Expectations Survey also ranked insecurity, high bank charges, and poor infrastructure among the top challenges facing Nigerian businesses.

He, however, said, “in the face of these challenges, there remains a resilient optimism among firms anticipating solutions to the security challenges plaguing our nation. 

 “The takeaway is clear: peace and security are not accidental; they are products of intentional governance, inclusivity, and national unity.

“To make meaningful progress, we must embrace a multi-pronged strategy. We must strengthen Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). These collaborative frameworks will allow businesses and government security agencies to share intelligence, optimise resource deployment, and coordinate rapid responses to threats.

“More importantly, we need to invest significantly in cyber security infrastructure.”

According to him, “The challenges we face are formidable – yes – but they are not beyond our capacity to overcome. With unity of purpose, shared responsibility, and visionary leadership, we can turn today’s crisis into tomorrow’s triumph.

“Let this gathering serve as a call to action for all stakeholders, government, business, civil society, and our international partners, to commit to a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Nigeria.”