LAGOS – Some residents of Lagos Island on Friday urged the State Government to beef up security ahead of the 2015 edition of the Lagos carnival holding on Saturday.
They spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Mr Idris Musa, a resident of Lagos Island, said that in 2014, there was harassment by hoodlums who came to watch the carnival in that year.
He said that several girls were harassed as the hoodlums picked the pockets of people that came to watch the festivities, thereby intimidating them.
Musa therefore, urged the government to look into the security aspect and to ensure that this year’s edition would be safe and secure for local and foreign participants.
Miss Damilola Adekoya, a student, told NAN that she had been attending the carnivals in the last three years and that she found them quite interesting.
Adekoya said that the area the government needed to look into was the area of security where some rival gangs engaged themselves in a fight.
“Some group of boys living on Lagos Island are always engage in fight with others residing in another area on the Island.
“These fights have always been like that in the past five years, and we need the authorities to intervene to settle the misunderstanding between the rival gangs,’’ Adekoya said.
In the same vein, Mr Raji Yusuf, a businessman, said that the carnival was one event that he always looked forward to.
He told NAN that during the carnivals, he used to record more sales.
“The carnival helps to improve our market and attract more patronage to our businesses.
“The carnival helps to improve our social well being and economy of the community,’’ Yusuf said.
Miss Bukola Ogunjobi, a dancer said that the carnival offered professionals in various fields the platform to exhibit their talents.
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Ogunjobi added that she had been dancing with her crew at Lagos carnival every year since inception.
She told NAN that the carnival was one through which her crew and herself used to perfect their dancing skills.
“We make money through our dancing profession, most especially during the carnival.
“We get paid each time we perform at the carnival,’’ Ogunjobi said.
She said that she never regretted attending the carnival, adding that the experience was a memorable one for her.
Ogunjobi urged the organisers to improve more on the logistics compared with last year’s and also to ensure tight security during the carnival. (NAN)
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