Popular music video director TG Omori and social media doctor known as The Bearded Doctor have shared separate experiences involving alleged encounters with groups of thugs in Lagos.
TG Omori recounted an incident in Ikoyi after he went out to film around 3am.
According to him, a large crowd of men gathered outside the location, shouting for him to “show love” before leaving.
He said he eventually left the shoot, leaving his assistant directors and security personnel behind to complete the final scene.
TG Omori later learnt from his producer that the men allegedly broke through the gate and injured a security guard who tried to prevent them from gaining access.
“It’s hell outside,” he wrote.
Sharing his own experience, The Bearded Doctor recalled a medical outreach his team organised in Mushin, where they planned to provide medical tests, food, sanitary products and other assistance to residents.
He said that despite having security personnel with them, a group of young men allegedly surrounded the team and repeatedly demanded money, at one point threatening to disrupt the outreach.
The doctor said one of the men eventually gave him an account number and pressured him to transfer money before receiving medical attention.
According to him, the man later told him about his activities on TikTok and claimed to work with celebrities and musicians.
The doctor also alleged that the man described how politicians allegedly use groups of young men in their communities to carry out various activities, claiming that some of them receive substantial payments.
The experience, he said, changed his perspective on the issue, arguing that the problem goes beyond the individuals involved and includes the systems and people who enable and benefit from their activities.
His account comes shortly after TG Omori’s experience, reigniting discussions about the growing concerns surrounding street thuggery, intimidation and insecurity in parts of Lagos.
