Sub-Saharan Africa - Nigeria
Lagos Carjacking Highlights Increased Risk
On Friday, February 9,
2007 at approximately 11:40 p.m., an employee of an American organization
and her personal driver, a Nigerian national, were victims of a carjacking
outside her office compound on Victoria Island in Lagos. The carjackers
briefly kidnapped the employee when they took the car, leaving the driver
behind. The employee was left on a street corner by the carjackers after
about 30 minutes of driving, in the vicinity of the compound. She was
assisted by two Nigerian nationals at a local night club, who subsequently
drove her back to the compound. The employee was not physically harmed.
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The victims stated that
their car had approached the back vehicular entrance to the compound and was
waiting for the contract security guard to open the gate. The street lights
were inoperative when they approached the back gate, as was the light for
the CCTV camera at that location. Both victims advised that one armed
carjacker approached the driver and asked him to unlock the doors. When the
driver began to put the car in reverse, the carjacker pointed his weapon at
him and stated he would kill him if he did not unlock the doors. After
unlocking the doors, the driver was pulled from the car and struck in the
leg with the butt of a rifle. At this point, one of the other carjackers
yelled at the one who struck the driver, telling him that is not what they
were there for. The carjackers then got into the vehicle, two in the front
and two in the back. The employee was sitting in the rear of the sedan and
was flanked on each side by a carjacker once they departed the area. The
driver was left behind.
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The guard contractor
admitted that his guard at the back gate observed the incident. However, he
indicated the guard decided not to open the back gate fearing this would
have given the carjackers the opportunity to gain access to the compound.
Instead, the guard radioed for assistance from his supervisors.
The employee said that after leaving the compound, the carjackers
immediately began screaming at and jostling her, while demanding her
cellular telephone and money. She also reported being slapped by the
carjacker sitting in the front passenger seat and was told by the carjackers
that they were going to kill her, and that they knew she was American. The
employee said that after approximately 30 minutes they dropped her off at a
corner, before driving off in her vehicle. The employee was unsure of the
route the carjackers drove while she was with them after leaving the
compound. However, based on her description, it appears they never left
Victoria Island. The employee said she was disoriented and did not know
where she was when they released her. She walked until she came to a night
club and was approached by a Nigerian woman who offered to help her make a
phone call. However, she said she could not remember the number to her
office and though reluctant to accept a ride by the Nigerian woman, she
eventually acquiesced and was driven to a property across the street from
the compound.
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A number of
recommendations for increased security in this case include additional
lighting, upgraded CCTV (with recording capability), issuance of radios to
all resident employees, establishment of call-ahead procedures between the
residents and contract guards, and remodeling of the guard booth to provide
direct visual observation of the exterior street area. Additionally, it was
recommended that both the employee and the driver submit a police report.
Historically, the holiday season spike in crime decreases as the year goes
on. However, that trend does not seem to be applicable thus far in 2007.
Crime has not abated, but may have increased, and firearms used/displayed
during the commissions of crimes are more prevalent. It is doubtful the
current crime level will decrease in the near future given the multitude of
factors contributing to crime, including the inability of the police forces
to provide effect policing, particularly when some in the force are many
times suspected of being the actual perpetrators of the crime.
For Information
on How to Protect Yourself, Your Family, Your
Employees, and Your Trips Abroad,
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