Sanwo-Olu pushes for Waterways security

By Oziegbe Okoeki

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the weekend inaugurated a Police Command at Ilashe, a riverine community in Amuwo Odofin, to boost security across border towns

The Command will serve as the operational headquarters of the recently created Area “L”, which provides security services to all riverine communities in the Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

The structure, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, was built and donated to the police by the state government and construction was handled and supervised by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

Sanwo-Olu said the Command was strategically positioned in the Ilashe riverine community to improve security on waterways and strengthen the capacity of the police to efficiently combat criminalities in border towns.

He vowed that his administration would spare no effort to make Lagos safer for investments and living, pledging that more resources would be committed to fortify security operations across the State in line with his government’s agenda to improve socio-economic well-being of Lagos residents through good governance.

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He said: “The commissioning of the headquarters for the Area “L” Police Command will further strengthen the capacity of our security network with the synergy of other sister agencies to effectively monitor the activities of miscreants, smugglers, pipeline vandals, kidnappers and sea pirates, who pose a serious threat to the economic wellbeing of our State.

“I am extremely delighted with the level of progress we have achieved in building and sustaining the security infrastructure in Lagos, given the challenges we face in terms of controlling crimes in inner cities and boundary communities. The Command will now fully commence regular operations that will be targeted at ensuring safety and security on our waterways, while also deploying personnel to dislodge criminals from creeks and riverside communities.”

Sanwo-Olu, joined by the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and members of the State’s cabinet, said the creation of additional Police Command was in fulfillment of his administration’s promise to leave no community behind in the quest to turn Lagos to a model ‘Smart City’.

He charged the police hierarchy to deploy “highly professional and disciplined” personnel for operations in the area, stressing that his administration would not condone any form of intimidation, coercion or molestation of law-abiding residents by security operatives.

Area “L” is the 18th Police Command to be established in Lagos by the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) after granting the State Government’s “Special Status” request, which led to the increase in number of security personnel deployed to the State. All the Commands are spread across the five Administrative Divisions of Lagos.