Governor intensifies effort at curbing crime

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Tuesday pledged to intensify efforts to check the menace of robbery in traffic, land grabbers, and cultism, in some trouble-spots in the State.

Ambode made the pledge during a meeting with the State Security Council at the Government House, Alausa, Ikeja.

Mr Fatai Owoseni, the State Commissioner of Police, while briefing Government House Correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, said the Council discussed security and crime situation in the past one month.

Owoseni said that the focus was on the menace of street trading, land-grabbers, and all other security issues in the State.

''We have looked at the areas where we are winning, the areas where we need to step up our activities, like those areas where hoodlums rob when there is traffic on the highway."

''We took a decision to do all we can to step up our activities. First is to decongest the traffic gridlock in State.

''Once traffic is reduced, we are going to take the street traders and hawkers off the road.

''We will also reduce the incidence of hoodlums robbing motorists on the road, and of course, the response time to distress calls will be improved upon.

''The meeting also took the decision that we continue our onslaught against criminals, especially the land grabbers, to make sure they are brought to justice.

''Once they are arrested, diligent investigations and prosecution will be carried out to serve as deterrent to others, '' he said.

Owoseni said the Council also deliberated on the menace of cultist activities, adding that efforts had been made within the last one month by security agencies to clamp down on them.

''We want to make sure that the issue of gangsterism and cultism is completely wiped out in the state”, he said.

On the resurgence of motorcycle operators popularly called okada riders, the Police Commissioner said security agencies within the past one month raided some identified areas.

He said about 595 suspects were arrested during the raids and close to 400 have been prosecuted while 332 were convicted.

''We will not relent, we would continue on that onslaught to raid black spots to get rid of street hawking and people who perpetrate crime in the state.

''We are out to make sure that we enforce those laws to get them off the roads where they are not supposed to be.

''We are also inviting the various 'okada' riders associations to sensitise then and let them know that everybody needs to obey the law, '' he said.