- The commissioner of police Lagos state Command, Mr. Olanrewaju Ishola has attributed the success of a peaceful Yuletide celebration in the state to the support and contributions from the Inspector General Of Police Mr. Kayode Egbetokun and the state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu.
Mr. Ishola made the remarks at the command’s Headquarters, Ikeja while parading some suspects and giving a breakdown of the success recorded in the last quarter of 2024 till date.
The police boss noted that during the period under review, the command intensified intelligence-led policing as directed by the IGP that resulted into the peaceful season that was experienced in Lagos.
He said that Lagos received huge number of visitors into the state, many of which did not go outside the state to celebrate the Christmas”
He said, “It is on record that Morita Lama International Airport received nothing less than 500,000 diaspora Nigerians, 90% of whom did not go outside Lagos for celebration. They stayed there because Lagos works and Lagos is safe. In the publication tagged 30 December, it was opined that people here celebrated Christmas with unfettered fanfare and the celebration still continues”
Mr. Ishola noted that this was only made possible because the command kept to the directives given by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Egbetokun.
“I’d like to also note that we had actual intelligence in place that Lagos will be overrun during Christmas. But the Inspector General Police in his able leadership is always loading us with intelligence which we follow stricto sensu. There are no ugly incidents upon the period of the Yuletide”
Mr. Ishola also commended Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu for his logistics support throughout all the efforts in the quest to save Lagos’ initiative.
” Also to thank Mr. Governor for his unwavering support in making sure that police states and the police command in Lagos remains the doyen of all police. No gain saying that we won the award for the best police in the West Africa”
He said that the suspects paraded were arrested for offences that ranged from armed robbery, carjacking, murder, kidnapping, abduction, gender-based violence, cyber bullying, cult activities to illegal possession of firearms and vandalism.
Mr. Ishola said the Police Command is well enabled to keep Lagos safe at all times.
The police commissioner however lamented that during the period under review, three policemen were killed in the course of their lawful duty.
“On the 19th of October 2024, a distress call was received at Agege that a truck ran over an okada rider and Policemen raced to the scene and because the policemen prevented them from burning down the truck. They attacked my policemen, a police officer was plummeted to death by stones just in the course of shared duty”
He further narrated that in a similar incident, saka Ganiyu, a police officer, was stabbed to death by a serving military personnel at Ojo area for enforcing traffic Law..
According to Mr. Ishola, on 25th of December 2024 at Ipaja, a police officer and his team on stop and search duty were attacked by hoodlums.
The ones that were lucky to escape with injuries were taken to the hospital while we lost a man in that area.
“Such manpower wastages has emotional effect on us as a people, but we don’t let it deter us in the quest for a safe state. So we further pledge to keep adhering to the directives given by the Inspector General of Police.”