Kunle Adelabu
The Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has disclosed that the state command of the force has performed creditably in the last six months (July 2020 to January 2021) with the arrest of 539 armed robbers and cultists with 320 charged to court so far.
According to the CP, out of this figure, 242 cases were recorded in Ikorodu Division with 172 charged to court.
He disclosed this at the 2021 Ikorodu town hall meeting held at the Ikorodu town hall on Thursday, January 27, 2021.
The high profile security meeting with the stakeholders in Ikorodu, was an initiative of His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, in response to the security challenges confronting and adversely affecting Ikorodu division’s social and economic lives.
“It is indeed my greatest pleasure and honour to welcome you all to this epoch-making event of 2021 Ikorodu Town Hall Meeting geared towards x-raying and analysing the security situation in Ikorodu Division of Lagos State with a view to proffering required solutions.
“In recent times, the security situation in Lagos State has been commendable except in some areas, particularly the Ikorodu axis where the situation has become worrisome due to a slight spike in cases of cultism, gangsterism, traffic robbery, ritual killings and the likes.
“These challenges have attracted public attention within and outside the state as many have perceived the Ikorodu situation as a state of anarchy. However, the command, some individuals and interest groups never perceived the situation as bad as being projected in the news”.
He stated that collaboration with local security outfits has helped greatly in arresting and checkmating criminal operations in Ikorodu.
“Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, permit me to state that the command and other sister security agencies have been alive to their responsibilities of tackling these challenges headlong with the little logistics within their reach.
“The efforts of the police and other combatant security operatives, including locally-based security operatives, have paid off as many of these criminals or miscreants have been arrested, decimated and their criminal operations were thwarted in many cases.
“In this regard, the command, with its anti crime strategies and the help of the general public, has recorded an appreciable number of achievements between July, 2020 and January, 2021″.
The Police Chief said that 242 armed robbers and cultists have been arrested in Ikorodu division in the last six months with 28 arms recovered and 120 ammunitions also recovered.
According to Odumosu, 17 vehicles were also recovered and 25 cases of armed robbery were foiled while 18 murder cases were recorded between July 2020 and January 2021.
Also, 192 cult cases were also recorded in Ikorodu out of the total of 210 cases in the state in the last six months.
The Police Commissioner also stated that 172 cases of armed robbery and cultism in Ikorodu have so far been charged to court
While acknowledging the security challenges in Ikorodu Division and stating that it has been described as a state of anarchy by some people, Odumosu said that the general security in the state has been commendable.
Also according to the CP, a total of 539 armed robbers and cultists have been arrested in the state with 320 charged to the court for prosecution in the last six months.
He also said that 57 arms, 196 ammunitions and 23 vehicles were also recovered during the period under review.
The CP further stated that 130 cases of armed robbery attempts have been foiled with 139 murdered and 210 cultism cases recorded, while 21 suicide attempts were also recorded during the period with 320 armed robbery cases.
“Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, premised on the statistics provided above, it is crystal clear that the efforts of the Lagos State Police Command, in collaboration with sister security agencies, to curb crimes and criminality in the state have paid off and can never be jettisoned”, Odumosu stated.
He stated that the Lagos Police Command will be tackling the insecurity challenges in Ikorodu with its community policing strategy.
“However, in as much as we are resolute to consistently tackle these security challenges in Lagos State and Ikorodu Division of the state in particular, the command has re-activated its strategies, in line with the community policing concept, to sustain the virile and effective security architecture of the state”, he assured.
