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Tag: Lagos State Commissioner of Police

  • EDGAL IMOHIMI: I used to play tennis until golf arrested me

    Upon admitting that the work of Lagos State Commissioner of Police is a tough one, soft spoken Edgal Imohimi, has taken to golf to remain fit as fiddle.

    Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Nation, recently, the CP opened up on his love for golf. However, before golf, he has been a keen tennis follower and player.

    Tennis, he said was his passion for many years as a Police officer until the ‘gentleman game’ of golf stole that desire.

    “I used to play tennis a lot until I tried my hands in golf and since then, I have not gone back to tennis. Golf is my game now and I am a member of the Ikeja Golf Club, where I play regularly.”

    The game is golf has indeed been the choice of many top ranked officers in the Police, Army, Air Force and Navy. This is not forgetting many industry chiefs that are hooked to the game.

    Some of them are former Inspector of Police, Sunday Ehindero, former military heads, Toye Sode, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Dele Ezeoba, David Mark, and industry chiefs; Olusola Adekanola, Godfrey Oboh, to mention but few.

    “I play off handicap 18, and would have come lower but for the job of policing Lagos. I don’t get to go to the course as I would love too, though I try not to stay away for too long. Golf is a great game that keeps you active and focus, while you are doing it in a very cosy environment.”

    He noted golf has also helped the Nigeria  police corps:    “You will notice that golf is associated with policy makers in the private and public sectors and there was a time that I was in Ikeja Golf Club to tell them about my policing plan for Lagos and I was warmly received.

    “I shared my idea of community policing with them and the fact thatfor it to work we need the trust and confidence of the people and we need to be professional to gain that.The trust I built so far earned me several intelligence information which had led to various crack down on criminal hideouts. So it is the cooperation that I have come to ask you for and if you see anything, please say something.”

    Blessed with three children, the Edo State-born, said golf has taught valuable lessons of life. “Golf is a game that can teach you be humble if you are not. You may think you are playing well and if you  are not careful, the course will simply humble you. It is a game that teaches focus and alertness too.”

    His favourite dish he says is rice, plantain and chicken. “I like rice, plantain, and chicken. I eat once daily and eat late. It is not good for me. But I always take tea and water.I also like dancing. When I was a younger officer I had the opportunity to attend parties and I danced a lot. But I can no longer do that now  not for any particular reason. But you know what people will say when they see the Commissioner of Police dancing,” Imohimi added.

    Remarkably, Imohimi has always wanted to be a policeman. “I’ve always wanted to be a Policeman. As a young man, if you ask me how I wanted to be remembered I would tell you that I want to protect people. I have always been convinced that is what I want to do in the future. It is my dream like everybody has one. When we were growing up, we were instructed on civic education. Thereafter, I proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri  it was one of the best schools in the country. The school fostered unity as the students were from various parts of the country  most those students are still my friend. I went to the University of Jos where I obtained a first degree in History. Later, I got a master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos.”

    When he had the opportunity to choose after his first degree he simply told his mum that he would like to join the Police force.

    “After my first degree I told my mother that I would like to join the Police Force. Of course everybody shouted why Police? My mother used to have an NGO and always visiting the prison so she has contact with the Police. So, she simply called former Inspector General of Police, Etim lnyang who agreed to get a form for me and I went for their examination and passed. That is how I began the journey.”

    CP Imohimi is married to Mary and blessed with three lovely kids. He recalled how he met his wife.

    “We met as mutual friends,” he revealed.“I had just joined the Nigeria Police Force and my wife’s family were staying somewhere in Lagos.

    “ My brother, who is a banker, happens to know certain friends who knew her. We met at an occasion we were both invited to attend. Immediately I saw her, it was if I had seen an angel. From that moment, I did the best I could to woo her until we got married,” he revealed.

     

  • ‘How we stopped Badoo killings in Lagos’

    Imohimi Oluwole Edgal, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police is a cop on a mission. He speaks passionately about his devotion to the safety of lives and enforcement of law and order under his watch. The 55-year-old has spent all his adult life in protecting the citizenry and waxes lyrical when it comes to community policing, which he believes is the panacea to resolving some of the security challenges that has torn apart the fabrics of the Nigerian society. Having worked in various parts of Lagos and in different capacities, Edgal would be the first to admit that  that there  is still so much to be  done  in policing  a cosmopolitan city such as Lagos. These and others he tells MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN and TAIWO ALIMI. Excerpts… 

    HOW has the journey been so far policing a mega-city like Lagos State?

    It has been very challenging but, fortunately, with the support and cooperation of the government and people of Lagos State; we have been able to surmount some of the challenges that we have.

    What were the security threats you met on ground when you were appointed?

    When I was appointed in September 2017, one of the major problems I met on ground was the issue of ritual killings which the press called the Badoo Killings in the Ikorodu part of Lagos; we equally had the issue of kidnapping in the Epe/Ikorodu axis; we had and we are still having the issue of cultism and cult-related violence as well as the worrisome case of traffic robbery occasioned by traffic snarl due to the on-gong construction works going in almost all parts of the state.

    How did you get to deal with these issues especially the Badoo killings, which were a cause of concern for everybody?

    As you said, this issue of ritual killing was worrisome because some of them were gruesome and very inhumane. But we have been able to tackle such problems and we don’t get to hear of them anymore. Let me say we have been able to tackle this and other crime-related issues across the state because I had a clear policing plans when I came in as the CP based on the strategy and philosophy of community policing and community safety partnership. One of the first things I did was to initiate town hall meetings across the state. These meetings were well attended and it was there that we introduced this concept of community policing–which involves the active participation of the people on how their community is policed.  It is left for the people to identify what is their own problem and of course, partnering with police and other security agencies to find solution to those problems. It also involves the integration of the informal police sector like the vigilante group in various neighbourhoods; later we started accommodating the state approved agencies such as the Neighbourhood Safety Corps in the overall architecture of the state. It also involves synergy with police and other federal security agencies such as the military; the civil defence; DSS (Department of State Security) and others. This synergy is working in Lagos under the strategy of community policing and community safety partnership; and this relies heavily on intelligent-led policing.

    What has been your experience in this regard and what are the structures you are also putting in place based on this intelligence-led policing?

    The reason why we can say this is working in Lagos is because we are gradually breaking barriers through community policing which hitherto was not available and this we were able to do because I took it upon myself as a matter of deliberate policy to win back the trust of the people which had long been virtually non-existent.  For a while, the police have lost the confidence of the people as a result of so many things we can’t finish talking about; there was the urgent need for me to ensure that we have the trust and confidence of the people because we can’t achieve anything through community policing without having the confidence and trust of Lagosians.  Partnership is the key operational word in community policing and nobody would be ready to do anything with you without earning their trust and confidence.  That was why we initiated the town hall meetings  for Lagosians  to let us know what were the factors that made them not to trust the police again which had made them lose confidence in such a vital institution. We talked about some of the problems that made them turned their back  to the police and it is as a result of this that we set up a citizen complaints hot centre which is  situated in the intelligence laboratory at the Governor’s Office in Alausa (Ikeja).

    What is the intelligence laboratory all about?

    It was when I was the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations that I actually set up that Intelligence Laboratory where the citizen complaints centre is domiciled with ten dedicated lines whereby the people can be able to report police misconducts so that action can be promptly taken against such errant officials. To ensure that anybody can communicate with any of those lines, we ensured that only officers that can speak the three major Nigerian languages; Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo along with English that were on such platform so that at every point you can speak to any of these officials. Between then and now, we have received intelligent calls that have helped us correct a lot of problems and issues arising from police misconduct within the Lagos Command. It is working wonders because we have started winning back the trust and confidence of the people because we now have a bigger and wider inflow of information between the public and police; this is one key factor to know whether we have acceptability as policemen working in Lagos. All the works we did in Ikorodu that saw to the end of rituals and kidnapping , the arrests of prime suspects were as a result of excellent and free flow of information and credible intelligence by the good people of Ikorodu. Within the period that we introduced community policing in Ikorodu, more than 160 young men and women have disassociated and renounced cultism voluntarily. I will also be in Badagry under the aegis of cultural institutions and the local government to witness the quitting of youths who hitherto, were in one form of cultism or the other.

    These are some of the dividends of community policing and community safety partnership and I have made it known to Lagosians that policing Lagos is everybody’s business.  I have also integrated  the traditional rulers, religious leaders  and elders  who used to have a vital role to play in ensuring that the society  have peace and communities were safe; this was part of the  old and forgotten ethos of policing which we have jettisoned as a result of urbanisation, modernisation and development. It is said that most matters that have degenerated into full blown crisis in the country were matters that hitherto were usually settled in the traditional institutions in those areas.  For instance; the feud between farmers and herdsmen, these are people who had been living together for donkey years without issues. That is why we are working closely with those traditional institutions in Lagos to bring crime including sexual-based violence to the barest minimum. Now, policing is no longer a function but a process; you are not proactive when you police as a function because you are only waiting for crime or violence to occur. But by policing as a process, we are seeking to ensure that the crime does not happen in the first instance  by anticipating that such  could happen  and quickly partner with the locals so  that such is nipped in the bud.  We are therefore going into the communities to identify problems and we are no longer waiting for those problems to manifest before we take action.  At the various town hall meetings, each community laid bare its problems; it’s all about cultism and drug-abuse related offences in the Mushin, Oshodi, and Isolo and Surulere axis. In other areas, it is the issue of rape while in some others it is about ritual killings and kidnapping. As such, we are working with the community leaders, religious leaders and the local government concerned to tackle the problems.  So we would continue to deepen this aspect of community policing and community safety partnership.

    In all of these laudable efforts, how much of training are you giving to the police under your command?

    Education and retraining of our personnel is very vital. Let me start by saying that I’m also a product of training I’ve received from the Nigeria Police. It was a result of the trainings that I have received that I could speak passionately about community policing, intelligence policing and community safety partnership. The truth of the matter is that  you can’t give what you don’t have and I’m proud to say that  I have been well trained and exposed by the Nigeria Police; so I place high premium on training of men and women under the Lagos Command. To make up for the shortfall of our training needs from the federal level, we have partnered with groups to ensure that we do local trainings within Lagos. Let me give you some statistics about what we have done  since I was appointed as the Commissioner of Police; 475 men and officers have undergone reorientation training at the Police Officers Training School in Ikeja; 250 men and officers have been trained on human rights by the Crime Victims Foundation; 156 officers have been trained on value-based trainings; 177 personnel have been trained on issues bothering on gender and domestic violence; 100 officers have also been trained on understanding and interpreting of gender-based violence; 27 officers have also been trained on information technology; 15 officers have also been trained in forensic analysis about advanced free fraud otherwise known as 419. The trainings are on-going and even as we speak some officers are currently undergoing another exercise and I have ensured that every week, we have some sort of local training for our officers and men with the overall objective of effective policing of our communities in Lagos. If the policemen are well trained, the service delivery improves because they are exposed to better training and effective use of resources as well.

    How do you deal with some of the bad eggs still within the Lagos Police Command?

    Discipline is the bedrock of any force anywhere in the world and as the commissioner of police, the onus lies on me to monitor discipline and stem out bad conduct within the set up. As I said earlier, my philosophy is community policing which is largely based on trust and confidence of the public. But by and large, this cannot be achieved without discipline on the part of officers and men within the command.

    I’m not proud to say this, but I don’t spare errant officers and men especially with those involved with criminal cases since I was appointed. Nobody gets a slap on the wrist and between September and now, we have dismissed 25 personnel for various matters bordering on criminality. Matters under this include officers caught for conspiracy and robbery. It is a criminal matter if an officer cannot account for signed arms and ammunition; it is criminality if it’s proved that an officer is involved in rape, gangsterism and cultism. In most cases they were charged to courts because once they are dismissed, the CID department takes over their cases for prosecution. About 27 other officers have been reduced in rank because of poor conduct while 15 others have been reprimanded for one reason or the other. The reasons I gave out this statistics is for Lagosians and indeed Nigerians to know that we don’t joke with discipline in the Nigeria Police.

    Be that as it may, I’m one of those who believe with improved training; we are going to reduce the issue of indiscipline in the command.  With all modesty, I can say that the conduct of policemen in Lagos has improved tremendously in recent times; and we are getting little complaints on issues bordering on corruption and abuse of fundamental human rights which are the two major areas that police have been found wanting.  We keep working on this because my wish is to bequeath a people friendly police, a police governed by the rule of law, a police that has the trust and confidence of Lagosians as legacies.

    How do you motivate your officers and men or is it just a case of sticks without carrots?

    Of course, welfare is also important but the issue of welfare can be looked at from different dimensions.  Let us start with the Lagos State government that has provided the command the enabling environment and working tools; and you would agree with me that whenever the police would do much better when they have good working tools and condition of service. Hitherto, the Lagos Police Command could hardly boast of 200 patrol vehicles so much so when there are distress calls, we don’t even have vehicles to patrol. Also there were no access to fuel (petrol) sometimes;  but in the last  one year we now have over 800 patrol vehicles courtesy  of the Lagos State government  through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. In addition, the government has also taken over our fuel dump and so our work has been made easier.

    Secondly, the state has also instituted insurance policy for the police command and this is apart from the insurance that policemen get from the Force Headquarters in case they lose their lives or get injured in the course of duty. The package is about 500 per cent higher than what they get officially. I’m aware that a victim or his family can get between five and ten million Naira depending on the severity of the incident. This is all about welfare and most recently, the Inspector General of Police was in Badagry to commission a vast expanse of housing units which was built by a developer in conjunction with our cooperative unit and it means for the first time police in the Lagos command can own properties with minimal withdrawals from their salary even before retirement.

    Moreover, between now and when I was appointed  we have received signals for promotion of our men and officers which should serve as motivation for those promoted and  others since they know that  their efforts in the service are not been overlooked by the command. Promotion has now become something we get on a regular basis and even as recent as two weeks ago, we had another batch of officials promoted.  So, these are some of the welfare packages under the directive of the IGP Ibrahim Idris and you can see that the morale of the men and officers has tremendously improved.

    Is the support from the Lagos State government to your command based on your own personal relationship with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode?

    Not necessarily, but I concede that in everything in life, personal relationship is very essential. Personal relationship is very important because it affords you the opportunity to discuss police operations and police welfare not only on official levels but in a relaxed informal setting.  So at the official and informal levels, I have excellent relationship with the Governor and his entire cabinet.

    How well have the officers and men imbibed the spirit and letter of the’Change Begins with Me’ campaign?

    Since the campaign was launched by the Federal Government, we have received firm directive from the IGP that we must also follow it to the letter. We have the inscription boldly written everywhere but the most important thing for us is to have attitudinal changes in our service delivery to Lagosians and Nigerians in general.

    So what are the other inherent problems about policing in Lagos State?

    You must agree with me that logistics can never be enough in policing a cosmopolitan environment such as Lagos. Lagos State has a population of about 22 million people and it is still growing daily; but my entire staff with those on general duties and specialists in the Lagos Command is just about 28,000 and you can see that it is a far cry from what the United Nations approves; so we have lack of man power issue.

    I have been able to make up for the shortage of manpower by going into partnership with the informal police sector, which we have across the state. What I did was to properly scrutinize and profile them in the state security architecture and they join our men for patrol to cover up on some areas as well. Logistics as I said can never be enough but importantly, we need technology to drive our operations and aid our policing. I have mentioned this to the Governor and I know he would do something about it; including the possibility of sponsoring a bill to the Lagos State House of Assembly to ensure that all businesses compulsorily install CCTV cameras to monitor activities around their premises so that when crime happens, we have a reference point. While government of course, should take care of the public places. With technology, police operations and activities would increase.

    Of course, we are still trying to win back the confidence and trust of the people so that they can volunteer information to assist us in policing the state. Some cynics are yet to come to terms that things are getting better with the Police; and we still have the complexity of crime in the sense that when you deal with one issue, another one might be cropping up  somewhere else.  You have more security challenges in Lagos  because it’s a cosmopolitan  city, active city and commercial nerve centre of the country, whereby over 78 people troop in daily  and never go back (based on the statistics we received from government) with expanding communities in Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe and other  places. I always make use of the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis instructively when talking about the police and policing of Lagos State; I always like to project my strengths and opportunities rather than my weaknesses and threats.

    What are your weaknesses as a policeman?

    If you talk about institutional weaknesses about my job as a policeman, it still dovetails back to some of the challenges we just talked about. Frankly, I believe we need a review of our laws because some of the laws we have now are no longer serving as deterrents and it is worthy to know that the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary are partnering to review some of these laws. We should begin to have stiffer punishments; I also believe we have to deepen ADR (Alternate Dispute Resolution) so that we don’t overburden our courts. I also think the Police must be better funded and I think this aspect is not receiving the proper attention.

    This is why the current IG has sent a bill to the National Assembly about the Police Trust Fund and the Police Development Bill as I learnt has passed through the third reading at both the Senate and House of Representatives; and hopefully this would be passed into law because it would take care of the funding needs of the force. Without the assistance of state and local governments, well-meaning individuals and corporate Nigeria, the Nigeria Police as it stands today, cannot effectively fund its operational needs. It’s worrisome especially in a country like ours with different tribes and tongues, we must expect conflicts and security issues, therefore our police must be well grounded in dealing with the sophistication of some of these security challenges.

    Until now, we don’t have the issue of national or international terrorism; agitations and communal clashes which I think the police should ordinarily be able to deal with even without calling out the military. Therefore, the police need to train and retrain its personnel in line with modern day policing to deal with these new trends

    What would you say are the tangible achievements you have recorded since you came on board as the Commissioner of Police in Lagos?

    I want to leave the issue of achievements to Lagosians and those people who are to assess me. I think it’s the people of Lagos State that are in better position to assess me and talk about their impression since I came into office; so take the question to them (laughs); take the question to the people of Ikorodu and Epe about what we have done there; go and ask people of Mushin and Surulere; the people of Badagry and other parts of the state about what they think about the police.

    But if you insist I must answer this question, I would say what I’m working on and what I would like to leave as legacy to the good people of Lagos State is the establishment and institutionalization of community policing and community safety partnership as the official policing philosophy and strategy in Lagos State.  Also, we want to see how best to assist the government in actualising its goal of a vibrant night economy; Lagos is a mega city and one of the visions of Governor Ambode is for Lagos to be a 24-hour city whereby people and business are conducted freely without security hitches. We want to provide adequate security in that direction.

    Gradually, we are getting to that point because you can see people especially those small businesses doing their stuff very late at night because we have heightened the security across the state. We have also partnered with the hospitality business group and the highlight of some of their recommendations is a closer synergy with the local police and the hospitality establishments to fight the issue of drug usage and cultism within and around their premises and also fight prostitution. The recent arrest of about 21 young men who were supposed to be in school in a hotel in Lagos was a as a result of this cooperation between the police and owners of the hospitality businesses. Police issue is a continuous business and should be everybody’s business.

  • CP vows to end neighborhood crimes, gangsterism in Lagos Island

    CP vows to end neighborhood crimes, gangsterism in Lagos Island

    The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Ag. CP Edgal Imohimi, on Thursday assured Lagos-Island residents that he would bring an end to neighborhood crimes of gangsterism and cultism prevalent in the area.

    The Police. Commissioner gave the assurance during a Town-Hall Stakeholders Security Meeting hosted by the Area ‘A’ Commander, ACP J. O Akinyede at Lion Building, Lagos.

    “We continue to have neighborhood crimes and cult-related violence and for this reason I have with immediate effect ordered Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to reach out to traditional rulers, CDAs and other voluntary groups.

    “We will set up vigilante group in Area A command to reach out to inner streets and neighborhoods to restore peace in the community.

    “I know we have had the vigilante before but we will give it legal functionality by inviting young interested men to come forward following which they will be profiled and attached with armed policemen for night patrol.

    “I have also ordered raids on uncompleted buildings and markets to make sure they are not turned into havens of criminal hideout.” he said.

    The CP also emphasized the need to gain the public’s trust for a successful community policing.

    “I have told my area commanders and divisional policemen that policing will now be by walking about. They must move to the neighborhoods, attend their meetings and talk to the people.

    “Policing in Lagos will now be with collaboration and consent of the people,” the CP said.

    Imohimi said he would not condone any form of corruption among policemen, adding that an officer was recently suspended and currently being investigated for alleged misconduct.

    He also commended the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode for approving the donation of 109 power generating sets and flashlights for police stations in the state.

    According to him, this will help make policing more effective as anyone could spot a police station from anywhere and walk in at anytime.

  • Revealed: INSIDE STORY of abducted Lagos pupils’ rescue

    Revealed: INSIDE STORY of abducted Lagos pupils’ rescue

    DAYS after the six abducted students of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, in Epe area of the state regained their freedom, facts have emerged about the true circumstances of their release. Addressing the media after the pupils regained their freedom penultimate Friday, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, had claimed that the pupils were rescued by policemen, adding that no fewer than 20 suspected kidnappers were killed during a gun battle with the criminal elements.

    However, a senior security source privy to how the schoolboys’ freedom was secured has revealed that the pupils were released by the kidnappers to the Ondo State Government after intense negotiation with them.

    It will be recalled that the six pupils were kidnapped by suspected militants on May 25, 2017, who kept them for 65 days before they were released.

    A few hours after the news broke on July 28, 2017 that the pupils’ freedom had been secured, Owoseni addressed a late night press conference with information that his men played the most significant role in securing the pupils’ release.

    It was gathered that Owoseni did not mention the role played by Ondo and Delta states, led by the deputy governors of the two states, Mr. Agboola Ajayi and Mr. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro respectively, let alone credit them with risking their lives to ensure that the pupils were reunited with their parents.

    Owoseni had said: “The militants, during the encounter, also tried to steal some police and naval gunboats. On the 18th of July, the kidnappers tried to ambush the police and marine post in one of the communities in Ondo State and take the gunboat.

    “The attack was led by the kingpin within that axis, Bright Dabo Adeniye and Oniwe Iyelabi, popularly called America, were killed.

    “Adeniye, who led the abduction and his 16-gang members were the first group to meet their waterloo during encounter with our men. Iyelabi, popularly called America, died during the encounter with the police.

    “In order to achieve swift rescue, we engaged some of the parents, and in the process, we engaged some psychologists who constantly gave us assurance.

    “That led to the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, reassuring the parents recently that the children would be rescued alive.”

    Owoseni’s narrative on the release of the schoolboys drew the ire of the senior security source, who described the CP’s account as self-serving, unbelievable and spurious.

    Although the state government has been silent on its role in the release of the kids, security sources praised the efforts of the Ondo State deputy governor and his team for staying for about four nights in the inclement weather of the creeks to persuade the kidnappers release the pupils.

    He said before the pupils were released, the militants contemplated releasing them and abducting the Deputy Governor for higher ransom until they negotiated amnesty with the state government. One of the militants was said to have suggested that the government could pay N2 billion as ransom if the school children were released and the deputy governor abducted.

    The source said that Ajayi and his Chief of Staff, Mr. Donald Ojogo, and an ex-militant, who was the link between the militants and the government, went into the creeks on the order of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) to negotiate with the abductors on the release of the six pupils.

    Giving details on how Ajayi risked his life to enter the creeks in spite of security advice against it, the source said the Commander of the Forward Operational Base of the Navy insisted on escorting the team to the creeks with gunboat. But the militants had warned that they would kill the children if they saw any security personnel in company of the negotiation team.

    The Navy Commander said it would be suicidal for him to allow the number two citizen of the state to travel to the creeks without security details.

    The source said it was the assurance given by the deputy governor that made the Navy Commander to allow him to travel without any security escort. The Navy and the security details of the Deputy Governor had to stay at Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area for the three-man team.

    The source said the team traveled for over five hours in the creeks before the militants appeared to them. He said it would have been suicidal if they had gone with security men as the militants encircled them when they got to the creeks between Ajakpa in Eseodo and Ugbonla in Ilaje.

    He, however, said the militants negotiated with Ajayi that they should include them in the amnesty programme of the Federal Government, before the school children were released to the government delegation.

    His word: “I want to tell you between man and God that no ransom was paid as far we are concerned here. I don’t know where the issue of fresh N5 million ransom came in.

    “The governor directed the deputy governor to go and meet with the boys (abductors) to talk to them. You know the deputy governor is from Eseodo Local Government, so he knows the terrain (the creeks). The deputy governor went into the creeks with one of his aides known as Donald Ojogo, without any security aide because the militants warned them not to come to them with security men. They said if they came with security, they would kill the pupils.

    “They also warned the government to evacuate all the gunboats of the navy and the police from the waterways in Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states.

    “They spoke with the Deputy Governor in pidgin English. They told him they were indigenes of Ondo State and they wanted to be included in the amnesty programme of the Federal Government.

    “They said if the government included them in its amnesty programme, they would drop their arms and leave the creeks. The government did not pay a dime as ransom. Anybody that is saying they paid is not being truthful. It was after their release that the security agencies were informed.

    “It got to a stage that the deputy governor gave himself up in exchange for the children. This was just after he was asked to raise up his hands in symbol of absolute surrender to the militants in their territory.”

    The source said the pupils had got used to their abductors during their stay in the creeks. He said one of the pupils had become a general and was referred to as General Saka, as he was the leader of the pupils in captivity.

    An impeccable source revealed to The Nation that the deputy governor of Delta State and his wife, who hails from the area, intervened to convince the abductors to drop their arms and release the kids.

    It will be recalled that the states in the South West had earlier met at a meeting in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, on Monday, July 24, 2017, to discuss matters of interest, including the worsening security issues in the zone.

    Rising from the meeting, the governors vowed to work together on security issues affecting the zone. The release of the boys, it was gathered, was a fallout of the meeting.

    Contacted, the Lagos State Police spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole insisted that the police were fully involved in the rescue operation.

    He said: “From inception till their release, we were involved and we are glad we got them back to their families.”

  • Igbonla kids: Lawmaker hails Ambode, Akeredolu, Lagos police chief

    Hon. Wale Raji representing Epe federal constituency at the House of Representative has hailed Lagos State Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni for the release the kidnapped Igbonla school children.

    Raji also thanked Governor Akinwumi Ambode and his Ondo state counterpart, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for their swift actions in ensuring that the children were released alive.

    He said: “I will like to seize this opportunity to appreciate the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Mr Fatai Owoseni for his unrelenting effort to secure the release of these schools children. Likewise I want to appreciate his Excellency Mr Akinwumi Ambode, the governor of Lagos State and his counterpart from Ondo State Mr Akeredolu for their swift actions in ensuring that the children were released alive.

    “I will like to beg Nigerians to believe in this government and let’s all remember that security of life and properties should not be left on the shoulder of government alone. We should all rise to the clarion call and support government on every of its moves to secure a better Nigeria.

    “However, I will like to charge His Excellency Mr Akinwumi Ambode to please intensify more effort to secure the people living in riverine areas of Lagos State. Recently, a residence in Ise Town was kidnapped for 35 days and latter, like 5 other people were abducted and no one knows their location up till this moment but I believe if a well-equipped marine police station is established in ISE TOWN in Ibeju Lekki, it will serve a great security purposes for people living in the riverine border town of the Lagos and Ogun state.

    “However let our public schools be more secured to avoid future occurrence.”

  • Eyo Festival: Akiolu, Owoseni warn against violence

    Eyo Festival: Akiolu, Owoseni warn against violence

    The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu have warned Lagos Islanders against acts of violence during the Eyo festival on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the duo gave the warning on Thursday when Owoseni visited the Lagos monarch at Iga Iduganran.

    The visit was in preparation for the Lagos@50 Eyo Festival which will hold on Saturday at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

    The police commissioner warned the Eyo masqueraders against violence, adding that any masquerader caught would face the wrath of the law.

    Owoseni also urged Lagos islanders to maintain law and order during the festival.

    He advised leaders of the masquerader groups to provide names of four persons from each group that would assist the police for proper identification.

    The police commissioner added that reflective jackets would be provided for those selected to assist security agents.

    Earlier, the monarch said that any masquerader that took law into his hands, causing unnecessary unrest would be handed over to the police.

    “Lagos@50 celebration is a thing of joy for us to thank Almighty Allah. I remembered the day the creation of Lagos State was announced, we were indeed very happy.

    “On the second day, a boat was brought here and we left for the Bar Beach with all the chiefs; every Lagosian should be grateful to almighty Allah for the celebration.

    “Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Mobolaji Johnson, previous governors and all those who contributed to the creation of the state, particularly Teslim Elias, were there,’’ Akiolu recalled.

    He noted that about 262 years before the arrival of the British, Lagos was administered by the traditional rulers.

    The traditional leader said that he had directed the head of the Eyo Masqueraders, otherwise known as “Adimu Orisa’’, to perform their usual display at the TBS square.

    “We love peace in Lagos and we embrace everybody for it. I have directed the head of the Eyo to restrict the celebration to the TBS because it is spacious,’’ he said.

  • Lagos task force arrest two ‘one-chance’ operators

    Lagos task force arrest two ‘one-chance’ operators

    Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) nabbed two ‘one-chance’ operators and impounded their commercial Volkswagen bus along Mile 2, Lagos.

    The two culprits: Chuckwudi Ezeudo of No. 1, Ezeudo Lane, off Babarin street, Ajegunle and Mr. Wilfred Ukpo of No. 1, Ajose Street, Ajegunle, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos who confessed that they have been using commercial bus to rob people around Lagos were arrested around 6pm on Tuesday with their operational vehicle, a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number EPE 165 XS.

    The Chairman of the Task Force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police, SP, disclosed that the culprits specialises in picking passengers with their bus and dispossesing them of thier valuables such as phones, wallets and jewelleries.

    According to a release signed by the Public Relations Officer of the task force, Taofiq Adebayo, immediately a victim reported that he was robbed inside a commercial bus, Task Force enforcement team with KAI officials swung into action, chased them and they were apprehended along Mile 2 area with 50 different stolen mobile phones.

    He said with the directive of the court the recovered stolen phones were returned to their respective owners on ‘Bond’ after a thorough screening.

    The release stated further that the task force Chairman enjoined members of the public to always report any illegal and criminal activities around them to relevant law enforcement agencies of the State.

    The two arrested culprits were immediately charged to court on the directives of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni.

    “They confessed that they operated at different parts of the state which includes Oshodi, Obalende, Orile, Pen-cinema, Ojota etc every day and that any passenger who refused to cooperate with them were beaten and thrown out of thier commercial bus on speed.

    “We have been in this business for long and we snatch/steal more than 50 phones and other items daily which we sell as fairly used at Computer village and Ajegunle”, they said.

    One of their victims whose mobile phone (Alcatel Pop Star 5) was snatched, Mr. Ajimati Adeyemi said he joined the bus with other passengers going to Mile 2 when the conductor and one other person who dressed in ‘black suite’ suddenly stood up and collected all thier phones and wallets before they were dropped at different bus-stops before Mile 2, Lagos.

    “I was surprised when I called my mobile line and I was told to come to Lagos State Task Force at Bolade, Oshodi where it was returned to me along with others”

    Another victim, Mr. Ozor Phillip who identified and testified inside court against the ‘one-chance’ operators said he was robbed of his mobile phone (Techno W2) at Arena shopping complex, Bolade, Oshodi.

    A female victim, Mrs. Yewande Adeboye who claimed to have been seriously injured after she was pushed off the moving bus by the conductor of the bus said the conductor nearly raped her before her mobile phone was snatched from her at Rainbow Bus-stop along Mile 2, Lagos.

    Meanwhile, the two thieves have been individually sentenced to 7 years jail term after they both pleaded guilty to the one count charged of ‘ conspiracy to steal and commit an offence contrary to section 409 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2011’, levelled against them.

    Magistrate Lateef Owolabi of the Lagos State Mobile Court at Oshodi said the 7 years jailed term without option of fine was to serve as deterrent to others who were still into this illegal and criminal activities within the society.

    Magistrate Owolabi said all recovered snatched/stolen phones be given back to their individual owners on bond.

    He however ruled that the commercial bus with registration number EPE 165 XS be confiscated by the Lagos State Government.

     

     

  • Police cannot ban 2Baba’s rally, says Adegboruwa

    Police cannot ban 2Baba’s rally, says Adegboruwa

    Activist-lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa Thursday said the police cannot stop the planned February 6 mass rally organised by popular musician 2Face Idibia (2Baba).

    He was reacting to reports credited to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police declaring that the rally slated for Monday would not hold.

    Adegboruwa said he considers it to be an attempt to intimidate those who wish to partake in the rally.

    “For the information of the police commissioner, Nigeria is a democratic country governed strictly in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

    “Section 39 of the Constitution grants freedom of expression, including the right to be heard and to disseminate information and ideas.

    “Section 40 grants the right to associate and gather together. Section 38 grants the right to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly.

    “I believe that Mr. Fatai Owoseni has a copy of the Constitution, to guide his actions and utterances on this matter, instead of threatening innocent and law abiding citizens, who are responsible for his salary,” Adegboruwa said.

    According to him, the issue of police permit for citizens to gather freely expired with the coming into force of the 1999 Constitution.

    “We cannot now go back to the military era of shutting up citizens from legitimate expressions. I, therefore, urge the good people of Nigeria, especially those who reside in Lagos, to join us en mass at Ikeja, for the rally on February 6, 2017.

    “We cannot be intimidated in our own country, by the same people who are paid to protect us. This is not a rally by miscreants or thugs as to warrant the fears being expressed by the police commissioner. The statutory duty of the police is to offer us protection on Monday and help to maintain orderliness, throughout the period of the rally.

    “So come rain or shine, we shall hold the rally on Monday, as scheduled, because it is illegal for the police to seek to ban a lawful assembly,” Adegboruwa added.

  • Abduction: Lagos deputy governor visits victims’ college

    Abduction: Lagos deputy governor visits victims’ college

  • Kidnapping: Efforts on to rescue Iba monarch, others – Ambode

    Kidnapping: Efforts on to rescue Iba monarch, others – Ambode

    …Convenes emergency Security Council meeting with Police, Service Chiefs

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday presided over an emergency security council meeting attended by heads of security agencies in the State, just as the State Government assured residents that efforts are being put in place to make kidnapping a thing of the past in the State.

    Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni said government and all security agencies in the State are bordered about the emerging crime of kidnapping, and that efforts are on to rescue all those kidnapped recently in the State including the Oniba of Ibaland, Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni.

    “What we want to assure the people is that we are putting efforts together to ensure that not just the monarch is rescued but also other victims of kidnapping are rescued and we bring those criminals to justice,” Owoseni said.

    He added that the emergency Security Council meeting was principally to holistically appraise the security issues confronting the State, as well to assure members of the public on the priority and importance that the State attached to their welfare and security.

    Speaking on the spate of kidnapping in the State, Owoseni said: “All of us are bordered. As the people are bordered, government is bordered and law enforcement institutions in the State are bordered. We are looking at the issue of kidnapping and the only thing we can tell the good people in Lagos is that government is doing everything possible and is deploying all arsenals of the State towards ensuring that we put a stop to all these and at the same time seize this opportunity to tell the fellows engaging in these activities to channel their energy to lawful conduct because there is no excuse to say that because they cannot vandalize the pipelines again, that is why they are resorting to all these soft targets kidnapping.

    “They should divert their energy into productive use. The government has opened up lots of opportunities for people that want to access soft loans for small scale businesses and industries, the Bank of Industry (BOI) for instance is there, they have been putting up adverts, let them have a change of mind, drop their weapons, access these funds that government at the State and federal level had created and for those of them that have certificates and saying that yes we have stopped bunkering and there is no other thing for us to do, there are platforms that have been created by government for them to be meaningfully employed,” the CP said.

    Owoseni, who addressed journalists alongside heads of other security agencies in the State, the State Attorney General, urged members of the public to stop patronizing street traders, saying there have been instances where criminal elements hide within them to launch havoc on unsuspecting citizens.

    He said the law against street trading had always been in place even before Governor Ambode came into office, but that the enforcement was being implemented responsibly considering the mood of the society.

    He said: “The law has been there even before the present executive governor came into power, so what we are doing as responsible government and responsible security and law enforcement institutions is to further engage like the Governor did last time on television on the evils of street trading.

    “It is not just about stopping the street trading, it also has the security elements. The fellows that are on the roads under the guise that they are selling, some of them are also criminals. There are criminals hiding within them to commit some havoc and for people that are also patronizing them like the Governor has said, everybody is just thinking this is a new law but it is not. We know the mood of the society and we want to balance our enforcement and that is why we are doing a lot of public enlightenment.

    “We are also telling our people that some of those people that they patronize, some of them sell things that would cause havoc to the people. Some of those items they sell are either expired or poisoned because they know you are on the move and you want to grab quickly.

    “Some of these guys also carry weapons under their shirt that they can use to harm people including those beggars. So, these things put together, it is going to be a win-win situation if our people avoid patronizing street hawkers and the hawkers can also form a formidable front and meet the government and ask for the creation of corner shops for them. They are on the roads and vehicles can also hit them, so there are lots of dangers involved and that is why we are engaging the people via enlightenment on the dangers involved,” he said.