Vigilantism, community-based approach, and residential neighbourhood in Lagos State, Nigeria

The growing insecurity in Lagos’ residential areas has led to the rise of vigilantism. This study investigates the impact of vigilantism on safety in residential neighborhoods. The study used a mixed-method approach, sampling 1337 residential buildings from 430,122 in Lagos’ 20 local government areas. The results show that respondents were 32.31 years, with 49.6% males and 55.0% earning ₦63,669 monthly. Neighborhood security actors in low-, medium-, and high-density areas used vigilantes to safeguard their communities. However, challenges to effective vigilantism include ineffective communication (79%), inadequate finance (70%), trust issues (62%), and a lack of cooperation (66%). Despite these challenges, the study concludes that vigilantism has enhanced safety in Lagos’ residential neighborhoods. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is necessary to improve safety.