CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
It is not the best of times for the police officers as well as the criminal elements at this period, as the Lagos Acting Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal had intensified efforts to reduce crimes in Lagos State.
Thus, the Area Commanders and Divisional Police officers, DPOs have virtually abandoned their families and remained in their offices in order to ensure effective protection of lives and properties in the state.
What made the officers to now sleep in their officers was not farfetched as some of the officers revealed. It was gathered that at the weekly briefing with CP Edgal, he made it clear to them that the officers should work more to ensure that the criminals had no space to operate in their different jurisdictions.
It was also gathered that the police boss made it clear to the officers that they will be held responsible if any crime was committed in their area and such officers may be removed or transferred for negligence.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the CP did not ask the officers to be sleeping in their officers but they decided on their own in order to ensure that they supervised the other officers especially in the nights when the criminal elements used to operate.
When P.M.EXPRESS tried to confirm the development on why some officers chose to sleep in their offices, abandoning their wives and children at home, some officers declined to make comments. But some other officers who spoke on the condition that their names will not be mentioned, said that they had to do so in compliance with CP’s directives and would not want to lose their positions.
One of the officers said that when any Area Commander or DPO delegates the function, that the officer on duty may also want to delegate to another officer. And when there is any incident, the DPOs or Area Commanders will be held responsible for lack of supervision.
On how they cope with their wives and children, one of the officers said they had to explain to their families the situation on ground and the need to have to bear with them during this period.
However, some of the rank and file officers told our reporter that it was an opportunity the officers had created to meet with their lovers and mistresses, as they now have excuses to give to their wives on why they slept outside.
However, P.M.EXPRESS gathered that their decision to stay in their offices was yielding results because they have been able to foil many robbery incidents in their areas as they were around to mobilise officers on duty.
It was gathered that robbers who usually operated in the nights were finding it difficult to operate because of the presence of the police during the day and in the nights, thus most of the criminals have been forced to relocate elsewhere except for the local fraudsters who were increasing on daily basis.