The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LNSC

  • ‘Whoever obstructs LNSC officials risks N250,000 fine, imprisonment’

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has recommended a fine of N250, 000 or six months imprisonment for any individual who obstructs members of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) from carrying out their duties.

    This followed the adoption of the report of its Committee on Information, Security and Strategy as presented by its Chairman, Mrs Adefunmilayo Tejuosho by the House during plenary on Monday.

    Tejuosho presented the report on “A Bill for a Law to Amend the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency for the Regulation and Control of Neighbourhood Safety Corps Activities and for Connected Purposes’’.

    According to her, it was observed at the public hearing held on Dec. 14, 2018 that certain sections of the Principal Law needed to be amended in addition to those contained in the Amendment Bill.

    She said that in order to allow for proper efficiency and strengthening of the agency, there was a need to create more sections to make the amendment more encompassing.

    Tejuosho said that the amendment created a new Section 25 in the Principal Law with the side-note “Obstruction of Authorised Officer’’.

    Read also: LNSC arrests 14 traffic ‘robbers’

    “A person, who wilfully and unlawfully obstructs, restrains, prevents, harasses or injures a safety corps member or any authorised officer in the discharge of his duties under this law commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of six months imprisonment or to fine of N250, 000 only or both fine and imprisonment.

    “A duly authorised safety corps member shall have power to enter, inspect and conduct search upon warrant issued by a Magistrate as may be incidental to be operation of this law.

    “A safety corps member shall have power to arrest anyone who commits, about to commit or is suspected of criminal activities and shall handover such person (s) to the police,” the amendment bill read in part.

    Section 27, subsection 2 of the amendment, however, stated that a safety corps member shall not exploit his or her membership of the safety corps for personal advantage or benefits.

    “A safety corps member who violates the provisions of this section commits an offence under Section 68 of the Criminal Law and is liable on conviction to five years imprisonment,’’ Subsection 3 of Section 27 read in part.

    The amendment stated that some functions of the LNSC include establishment of the uniform safety corps in all local government areas of the state.

    The agency is also expected to take over all existing responsibilities of the neighbourhood watch and absorb all eligible neighbourhood watch members into the safety corps.

    According to the bill, the agency will register all private vigilant groups, private home security and any other person employed for private security as well as carrying out enlightenment campaign on crime detection and prevention.

    The lawmakers took turns to commend the committee for the amendment and debated the bill.

    In his observation, Prince Bisi Yusuff said that tenure of the board should not be put on part time but on full time as proposed in the amendment because of the importance of security.

    Yusuff said that LNSC should be thoroughly funded through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF)

    Mr Rotimi Olowo (APC-Somolu I) harped on the need for the agency to liase with other security agencies for proper security of lives and property.

    The Majority Leader, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, who corroborated Yusuff said: “The tenure of members of the board should not be part time because of the nature of the issue (security).

    “Lagos is a dynamic state with various security challenges. We must be emphatic on this.

    “I wish to state that the job should be permanent and not part time’’.

    In his submission, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker of the House, Mr Obasa said that the fines for anyone who obstructs LNSC officials was mild and that it would not deter criminals.

    Obasa said that the board should be separated from the agency to allow the agency function well.

    On whether the job of the board members should be part-time or full time, the speaker said that depended on the functions of the board.

    The bill is, however, awaiting the third reading having scaled the second reading.

    Meanwhile, the House also debated reports on Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission (LAHASCOM)

    The reports were presented by the Chairmen of House Committee on Finance and House Committee on Establishment, Training and Pension, Mr Yinka Ogundimu and Mrs Mojisola Meranda respectively.

    On PPP, the lawmakers were unanimous during debate that the House should be involved in all MoU and feasibility studies on PPP as the representatives of the people for transparency and accountability.

    The two reports were adopted as the resolutions of the House. (NAN)

  • LNSC arrests 14 traffic ‘robbers’

    Officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) have arrested 14 suspected traffic robbers on the Marina in Lagos.

    The suspects were apprehended during an operation codenamed, Jedi-Jedi, which was initiated to rid the axis of miscreants, who waylay motorists at night.

    According to the agency’s Chairman, Israel Ajao, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), LNSC had received complaints that motorists were usually robbed at that axis at night,  especially by the State House on the Marina.

    He said LNSC officials went undercover and pretended as motorists, whose vehicles broke down.

    “Over 100 officers were deployed in decoy raid. Some were inside vehicles, which seemed to have broken down. As soon as the urchins saw the broken down vehicles, they went after them in a bid to rob the occupants.

    “Fourteen of them were pursued and arrested. Some weapons recovered. They have been handed over to the task force for further action. Some of our officers sustained minor injuries. This operation was successful because of the quality of intelligence received from the public.

    “People should have confidence in giving us information and we would rout out all criminals from all the nooks and crannies of Lagos State.”

  • LNSC arrests 14 traffic ‘robbers’

    Officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) at the weekend arrested 14 suspected traffic robbers at Marina, Lagos Island.

    The suspects were apprehended during an operation code-named Jedi-Jedi initiated to rid the axis of miscreants, who waylaid motorists at night.

    According to the agency’s chairman, Israel Ajao, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), they had received complaints that motorists were usually robbed in the axis at night especially by the State House in Marina.

    He said LNSC officials went undercover and pretended as motorists, whose vehicle broke down.

    “Over 100 officers were deployed in decoy raid. Some were inside vehicles, which seemed to have broken down. As soon as the urchins saw the broken down vehicles, they went after it in a bid to rob its occupants.

    “Fourteen of them were pursued and arrested. Some weapons recovered. They have been handed over to the Taskforce for further action. Some of our officers sustained minor injuries. This operation was successful because of the quality of intelligence received from the public.

    “People should have confidence in giving us information and we would rout out all criminals from all the nooks and crannies of Lagos State.”

  • Ambode inaugurates Lagos State Safety Arena for emergencies

    Ambode inaugurates Lagos State Safety Arena for emergencies

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Tuesday inaugurated the state’s Safety Arena at Bolade in Oshodi area to facilitate quick response to emergencies.

    Speaking at the inauguration, Ambode said the Safety Arena comprised of all the departments and agencies responsible for safety and emergency management under one roof.

    “By providing the safety arena, we are not only institutionalising inter-agency cooperation and collaboration but we are moving our emergency response mechanism to a new level with a more robust approach to emergency rescue through improved coordination and faster response time.

    “With the movement of these agencies into the safety arena, we will experience better synergy among them and a significant improvement in the response time to most safety and emergency issues,’’ Ambode said.

    The complex has the Fire Service Department; Environmental Health Department; Lagos State Ambulance Services ( LASMBUS ); State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit ( SEHMU ).

    Other agencies in the complex include, Lagos State Building Control Agency ( LASBCA ); Safety Commission; Lagos State Emergency Management Agency ( LASEMA ); Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps ( LNSC ), and the Nigerian Legion.

    Ambode restated his commitment to create institutions that would continue to serve the people satisfactorily always.

    He charged the management and staff of the environment ministry and the various agencies to continue working on the improvement, renewal and sustenance of the existing synergy among the various agencies and players saddled with the responsibility of managing safety and emergencies.

    Read also: Ambode to inaugurate LASEMA Ikorodu Road unit

    “Members of the public must not be treated inhumanly at any time your duties are being performed. We will not tolerate any professional misconduct or behaviour from our officers in this arena,’’ he said.

    The governor, however, urged residents to partner with the government in areas of effective and functional emergency response as it could not do it alone.

    “It is not the responsibility of only the government but of every individual in the state.

    “We therefore, recognise the need to continue to advocate and promote community participation in emergency management.

    “All citizens must continue to conduct themselves responsibly for us to serve you better,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr Oluseye Oladejo, said that the complex was strategically located at Oshodi to satisfy the yearnings of the people and to further ensure continued improvement on response time.

    Oladejo said the second phase of the safety arena project had been awarded to accommodate the Lagos Command of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, Vehicle Inspection Service, Vehicle Maintenance Workshop and a Fuel Dump.

    NAN

  • LNSC arrests suspected burglars at Oto-Awori

    LNSC arrests suspected burglars at Oto-Awori

    The Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) yesterday arrested seven men suspected to be members of a burglary gang terrorising residents of Ilogbo in Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

    Isiaka Olawoye, Tope Omothoso, 39, Taiwo Fatai, Abudullahi Nosiru, 19, Toheeb Adeniran, 22, Ganiyu Samsudeen, 22, and Gbenu Shegun, all residents of Ilogbo, Badagry, were allegedly arrested while sharing their loot around Tope Itire, Ilogbo last bus stop.

    LNSC spokesman Olawale Afolabi said residents had complained about the activities of the hoodlums, who usually operated at midnight.

    He said the suspects stole phones, money and other valuables from their victims, adding that they were caught with some of their equipment.

    The suspects, Afolabi added, were handed over to policemen at Ajangbadi Division.

    Meanwhile, the agency held its monthly fitness assessment at the Surulere Local Government Secretariat on Monday.

    The exercise featured corps members from across the state who, to the rhythm of a lively band performance, received training in different exercise techniques.

    The agency’s Divisional Representative, Ishola Laguda, said the corps’ commitment to building a physically and mentally active team was essential to delivering on its security mandate at the grassroots.

    Laguda promised the LNSC would continue to aid the security agencies with necessary intelligence.

    He said: “We are very grateful to Governor Ambode because in terms of the materials we need, they were all provided. Domestic crime has been reduced drastically as we work to complement the effort of the police.”

    The Corps Commander, Bashir Giwa-Bioku, urged participants not to rest on their oars.