Lagos Communities and Leisure Spots Increase Security After Cinema Attack

After the killing of two people at Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX in Lekki, Lagos State, on Friday, entertainment centres in the area have stepped up security measures. This is to avoid any similar incidents, PUNCH Metro has learned.

Our reporter found out on Sunday that residential areas have also changed their security plans following the attack.

There is now more focus on controlling access and watching visitors in the residential areas.

A man with a machete tried to enter the cinema but was stopped by security staff.

The suspect, reportedly armed with a machete, became aggressive after being blocked and attacked some security guards.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident on Saturday.

She said the suspect fatally stabbed one of the security guards and injured another.

Adebisi also mentioned that the suspect was later mobbed and died from the attack.

Witnesses shared their shock about the incident, saying it traumatized them.

Meanwhile, a security guard at a nearby entertainment facility spoke to PUNCH Metro on Sunday under the condition of anonymity. He mentioned that the incident led to a review of security measures at some entertainment spots nearby.

He said, "We have adjusted our security arrangements after the incident. We are now paying more attention to people coming into the premises, especially those who appear suspicious.

"My colleague who works at a nearby club said more men have been added to their team to increase their manpower and prevent such from happening."

A bouncer at a nightclub in the area, who goes by the name Styro, confirmed the same changes.

He told our reporter on Sunday, "We have been instructed to be more alert because we cannot always tell what a person coming in here may have with them. We now have additional bouncers after the manager of this place was told to immediately get more hands due to the incident."

In Lekki Phase One, a resident named Olufemi Fadahunsi said his estate had also adjusted its security systems after the attack.

He stated, "The security arrangement has been adjusted, particularly regarding access into the estate. Visitors are being monitored more closely now, and the security personnel have been advised to remain vigilant.

"We don’t want anything similar to happen here, so everybody is now more conscious of security."

Sulyman Bello, the President of the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association, confirmed that security has been increased in several communities in the area.

LERSA represents estates and gated communities from the 1004 Estates axis through Lekki to Ibeju-Lekki and Epe.

Bello also called for quick action to tackle the root cause of the threat and to ensure it is eliminated.

He said, "There has been heightened security. Yes, we have noticed that. But whether it is heightened today or tomorrow is not what is of importance to us. It is to ensure that the environment is sanitized to the extent that even if you don’t have heightened security, the source of this threat is taken out."

Bello added, "It is not just because something has happened and then everybody becomes conscious of security. In another three days, all of us have forgotten again. That is not what will work for us. What will work for us is a more systemic approach."

According to Bello, the association has activated its security platform, which includes chief security officers and chairmen of security committees from estates in the area.

He mentioned they are reaching out to their members, stressing that increased security should not only focus on entertainment centres.

Bello explained that residents who jog in the mornings and evenings could also be at risk due to the presence of shanties and homeless people in parts of the area.

He said, "We are reaching out to our members. It’s not just entertainment centres. Even residents’ associations are also doing a lot to beef up security.

"People are jogging on the road. You need to understand that people feel these neighborhoods are safe. So you find young men and women getting out of their homes and getting on the streets in their neighborhoods to jog in the morning," he added.

"Go to Orchard Road, Monastery Road, Freedom Way, Platinum Way. You see people jogging in the morning and in the evening. So the risk is that if you have such hoodlums in the area, they are vulnerable."

Bello urged residents to stay alert and report suspicious activities to their estate security committees and the proper authorities.

He also called on the Lagos State Government to find a lasting solution to the presence of homeless individuals and vulnerable people living in makeshift settlements around the Lekki area.