Sanwo-Olu turns attention to security as crimes spike in Lagos

Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said he will be focusing his attention on security and welfare as reports of robberies and violent attacks spiked in the last few days.

The state, Abuja and Ogun have been in lockdown for two weeks. The lockdown was declared by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 31 as one of the measures to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country.

Buhari on Monday said the lockdown will be extended by another two weeks.

Street gangs have capitalised on ease of movements occasioned by empty roads and streets to move freely in large number from one part of the metropolis to another, eyewitnesses said.

“My biggest focus now is security and welfare,” Sanwo-Olu said on Tuesday.

“There have been reports of pockets of insecurity across different areas and intelligence has shown a combination of exploitation by criminal elements. The Police have been responsive but in the last 24 hours, we have worked to increase surveillance and response time.”

Eyewitnesses told The Guardian that street gangs such as One Million Boys and Awawa Boys have wreaked mayhem in places in Agege and Alimosho local government areas.

The Nigeria Polie Force spokesman Frank Mba said Inspector-General of Police has ordered the “deployment of additional intelligence and operational assets of the Force, comprising Police Mobile Force (PMF) Units, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS), to Lagos and Ogun States to strengthen security and bolster public confidence in the affected areas.” (The Guardian)