₦airaland Forum

I was opportune to spend some few month in my community and i was told some people will be going house to house to collect security fee 1k per building. failing to comply the person house will be locked. he will be arrested and hand over to the police (community divisional headquarter) , mind you the place have a divisional police headquarter in the community, and there is more than 3k to 5k residential building in the area, meaning they will be making close to 3million per month then pay 5 to 6 people 15k per month as salary.

so i am asking is this thing legal, and if i refuse to pay , what crime will i be charge with when taking to the police. also there is a lot of corruption in the people heading the issue.

so my question, is it legal?, this area is a remote place with a business salary that cant be more than 15k to 25k per month.

A community with up to 3,000 houses is not a remote area, it's a densely packed area. Honestly I don't believe they're even up to 300 houses in your area. You're not privy to the number of houses with occupants or the exact salary the security men are receiving, what makes you think you're being extorted by being asked to pay 1k?

Quelme:
This will likely be in the East.

Everything to people like you is to first hate against the tribe you love to hate, I live in Lagos and this same thing is happening though not up to the point of arrest but I will address what is going on in the reply I will give the OP.

EkenmaPeter:
so my question, is it legal?, this area is a remote place with a business salary that cant be more than 15k to 25k per month.

it is illegal to arrest you, the police and the community leaders are sharing most part of the money, that's why the police is giving them backing to make arrests, Same thing is happening in my area here in Lagos(though not to the point of arresting), we had to get involved in the community management when the election came up, we have started working on using the funds for improved security service since we found the fraud involved in it.

Imagine where they were on paper paying each security man 40k but were paying them in reality 25k and the pattern went on for years, aside from other funds raised too, you will have to be patient and be paying it or take them to court or start planning like we did with other residents to get involved in the management of the community especially if they have elections.

And why will you refuse to pay?

If you are uncomfortable with the amount, then call the community head and ask him what they intend to use the money for.

I don't know of any security personnel that will accept 15k per month as their salary. Their lives are literally on the line and they spend some of their nights on duty as well. We live in a country where we can't trust our local police and government to do the needful, so engaging these security outfits is non-negotiable or do you have a better alternative?

As for arresting people who won't pay, that's going a little bit overboard. In my residential area, what they do is to prevent defaulters from leaving the gated area with their personal vehicles until proof of payment is shown.

To those insisting that this is all wrong, I ask you all, WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE? This initiative is not perfect and can potentially breed and foster fraudulent acts, but then again, WHAT BETTER ALTERNATIVE DO WE ALL HAVE? If we truly want to address this head on, we should start by holding our government accountable. In the interim, your politicians, bishops, national/local pastors, MDs, CEOs and privileged classmates are all moving around with private security outfits.


@Op Pay the security fee.

This will likely end up in the pockets of few individuals.

Let starts by calling out the state and community.

It is extortion, stop defending illegality.
One of the core responsibility of government is provision of security.
Someone is saying something about the community he lives in, you a nonresident is countering it as a lie.
Dem swear for you?

Lol that Security fee are some people salary and Developmental fees if anything xup don't know about your Community but like fixing of Transformers Cable, packing of drainage, filling of potholes most of this money comes from it so stop doing over calcu or just apply to be there treasurer then...

And if you've any questions partaining the finances go for monthly meeting and put up the question and get the answer..

If we as a citizen can bypass meter even when it was so cheap Den people needs to be held with iron hands...

Someone up there saying is illegality so Bank private Security won't be paid by the banks his working just because is Govt responsibility..

The Government only responsibility is the Police not a private security you can leave your community open and un protected but since you want an extra protection that's on you....

People hire private security in the advanced world to there estate they won't tell us it's Govt responsibility to be safe....

Yours is even cheaper my community pay higher than that....

Perhaps you should secure your house yourselve

I don't know but wait let me ask my nabour and get back to you

Since na 1k just pay comot mind.

E get somethings way I no dey too put mind too. Na when them come thief for the street or I don't see what am paying for, that's when I show them pepper by petitioning them

1k in a month is not bad, you go like trouble oooooo

This is the same character most people exhibit on daily basis. Common 1k for security is a difficult tax for you. This was how I sold sumo box to a compound around my community but before they paid the money I went through hell. Mind you the amount was only 12k for 12 flats so you can imagine how wicked some people could be.

Pay your levy so the area can be secured .You can even join the security team in night patrols so you understand more the risk and appreciate their roles better.

Go and pay and lesve legality of being arrested if not paid alone. Soup wey sweet na money kill am. If they kidnap anybody in the community, you'll pay more, so a stitch in time saves nine

In Oyo state, you must pay for security fees in your community. If you don't pay , you can be arrested and charge because there is law concern security fees in Oyo state.

You can ask for more transparency but I doubt you'll get any. Just pay up, it's a rot you can't really fight. They lock up my estate whenever they're enforcing the security bills against those who haven't paid and I do wonder if they have the legal right to do that. Though some Nigerians can be difficult to relate with when it comes to paying for certain services and only tough measures tend to force them to do the right thing. But I always wonder if it's legal or not to keep them locked in like criminals. 😂

You will lose so much if not your life sef if you don't cooperate and give them that 1k. Dey there de drag untop 1k. Don't you know what these people are capable of. Hmmm......? Sit down there dey do calculation. If you think they are making a lot of money you better go and join them. There are some things you just close eye and do to be at peace with people.

EkenmaPeter:
I was opportune to spend some few month in my community and i was told some people will be going house to house to collect security fee 1k per building. failing to comply the person house will be locked. he will be arrested and hand over to the police (community divisional headquarter) , mind you the place have a divisional police headquarter in the community, and there is more than 3k to 5k residential building in the area, meaning they will be making close to 3million per month then pay 5 to 6 people 15k per month as salary.

so i am asking is this thing legal, and if i refuse to pay , what crime will i be charge with when taking to the police. also there is a lot of corruption in the people heading the issue.

so my question, is it legal?, this area is a remote place with a business salary that cant be more than 15k to 25k per month.

Was this stated in your tenancy agreement? I have the same issue but let me put it this way, I will never pay for what I didn't sign up for and I will dare you a thousand times to come and arrest me

There is so much inconsistency in your write-up so that you can justify your unwillingness to pay.

1. 3, 000 houses.
In such places, you will have at least 15, 000 people living in the area. Imagine the level of crime that is potentially possible in such a place in this modern day Nigeria.

2. N1, 000 per house.
This seems fair.

3. 6 people to secure an area of 15, 000 people.
Habaaaa!!

4. The 6 security guards who are so effective to cover 15, 000 people will accept N15, 000/month as salary?
There is God oooooo!! (In Mama Patience's voice)

The juju you guys used to get the security guys to work for you would have been better used to ward off thieves.

Oga, you dey lie sha.

Better for you to say "I no dey wan dey responsible to the community I live in" and we will understand and won't fault you in any way.

It is actually lawlessness & failure of governance.

I pay a sizable amount of income tax monthly.

I dug my borehole, instead of Govt providing portable pipe-born water.

I contribute money for our road maintenance.

I personally bought 3 NEPA poles to draw light to my building, & yet NEPA came to extort money before I could connect light.

You contribute thousands of Naira to buy transformer, which later becomes NEPA property.

You source your own power via Solar because of epileptic power.

Same with issue of security; you are paying for it instead of Govt providing it.

In civilised climes, all these are provided from your tax.

dominique:
what makes you think you're being extorted by being asked to pay 1k?

The question is are they supposed to pay 1k for security levy in a tax payers world?

Last month I witnessed an accident somewhere in Ondo State and when the road safety guys were called, they demanded fuel money as they complained of logistics kibosh.

DCmonster:
It is extortion, stop defending illegality.
One of the core responsibility of government is provision of security.
Someone is saying something about the community he lives in, you a nonresident is countering it as a lie.
Dem swear for you?

Among all the commenters before you, you only made sense. See folks above looking for ways to defend the illegality. We have a government, why pay for security when the police ought to do their job. Dude never mentioned it's an estate or so.

Babatindan:
Go and pay and lesve legality of being arrested if not paid alone. Soup wey sweet na money kill am. If they kidnap anybody in the community, you'll pay more, so a stitch in time saves nine

The kidnapped fellow doesn't have relations??

😕😕😕

Why would he need to pay it someonr gets kidnapped in the community

EkenmaPeter:
I was opportune to spend some few month in my community and i was told some people will be going house to house to collect security fee 1k per building. failing to comply the person house will be locked. he will be arrested and hand over to the police (community divisional headquarter) , mind you the place have a divisional police headquarter in the community, and there is more than 3k to 5k residential building in the area, meaning they will be making close to 3million per month then pay 5 to 6 people 15k per month as salary.

so i am asking is this thing legal, and if i refuse to pay , what crime will i be charge with when taking to the police. also there is a lot of corruption in the people heading the issue.

so my question, is it legal?, this area is a remote place with a business salary that cant be more than 15k to 25k per month.

it is extortion and criminal.

It should be voluntary even though we have over time in community level begin to subsidize security for our government. It's a shame.

But if you're compelled to pay security levy with the threat of arrest or deprivation of your property, it is criminal and it is extortion.

The money goes to the private pockets of the community chairman, CSO and one or two top police officers

Complaining because you are been told to pay security fee in this unsecured country.
You want the community or the estate to be securing you free of charge because you live among them.
Only the part of getting arrested is where they go overboard

dominique:
A community with up to 3,000 houses is not a remote area, it's a densely packed area. Honestly I don't believe they're even up to 300 houses in your area. You're not privy to the number of houses with occupants or the exact salary the security men are receiving, what makes you think you're being extorted by being asked to pay 1k?

The moderators should be editing the texts in threads that they bring to the front page.

Just imagine this text (with several grammatical errors) like that written by a 3-year-old child.

Paying the fee is entirely voluntary. It is illegal to arrest anyone for not paying.
However, if you choose not to pay and your house gets robbed, you cannot hold the security personnel responsible.

If you believe the fee is too high compared to the number of security staff and the resident-to-personnel ratio, you should attend the community meeting and present your concerns with facts to support a possible review.

Just my humble opinion.

dominique:
A community with up to 3,000 houses is not a remote area, it's a densely packed area. Honestly I don't believe they're even up to 300 houses in your area. You're not privy to the number of houses with occupants or the exact salary the security men are receiving, what makes you think you're being extorted by being asked to pay 1k?

very disappointed in your opinion, Dominique.

This is extortion under the guise of security levy. Any monies for security should and must be voluntary.

failure/refusal to pay does not amount to a crime and if anyone is being threatened with arrest or deprivation of his property for not paying then it is:

*. Criminal Harassment
* Extortion
* Threatening Illegal Arrest/Detention

There's no law which requires citizens to subsidize security for the government whose first and sole responsibility is to safeguard life and property.

And yes, the crime of extortion is not determined by the amount being extorted; it is materially irrelevant whether it be 1k or 1 Million.

You're a long standing moderator here and I am very disappointed at your worldview and sense of basic law.

dominique:
A community with up to 3,000 houses is not a remote area, it's a densely packed area. Honestly I don't believe they're even up to 300 houses in your area. You're not privy to the number of houses with occupants or the exact salary the security men are receiving, what makes you think you're being extorted by being asked to pay 1k?

Like just ₦1k for your safety lol.





Not enough Amala......