Lagos Police Replace Burnt Offices With Containers & Canopies At Different Stations

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Six months after the #EndSARS protest, the Nigerian Police operatives of the Lagos State Command, are still not really finding it easy and seem to be at loss on how to rebuild various Police Stations burnt during the protest in the State.

P.M.EXPRESS investigation revealed that the Police Stations burnt and destroyed during the protest have remained like that and the only remarkable achievement so far made by the Police was to remove rubbles to create space to set up containers and canopies as temporary offices.

According to some Police sources, all the promises made by both the Federal and Lagos State Government to rebuild the stations seem to be lip service promises as none of them have even made any attempt to assist the Police in this regard.

The Nigeria Police were said to be cash strapped and cannot rebuild the stations due to the huge amount that will be involved and the State government, which they relied upon to do so, may not be looking in that direction for now due to other challenges of governance.

Well meaning individuals and corporate organisations would have assisted but were said to be battling on how to survive the worsened economic situation caused by Covid-19 and some were said not to be happy with the Police, who some alleged that their woes were self inflicted problems caused by Police officers especially the disbanded SARS.

The affected Police stations from security sources included: Cele, Orile, Amukoko, Layeni, Ilasamaja, Ikotun, Ajah, Igando, Elemoro, Makinde, Onipanu, Ebute-Ero, Pen Cinema, Isokoko, Alade, Igbo Elerin and Shibiri.Others are: Gbagada, Onilekere, Makoko, Daleko, Asahun, Makinyo, Surulere, Amuwo-Odofin, Ojodu and Mobolaji Johnson Station and Lekki 1.

Speaking on the vandalisation of Police infrastructure, Lagos Police spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had earlier said that the Police duties had been hamstrung by the incident.

“I doubt if some of the grassroots stations will ever function at full capacity again, taking into consideration the damaged vehicles and computer equipment that have been lost”, Mr. Adejobi said.

“The implication of this is that money that has been set aside to do other projects and develop certain areas will have to be channeled into repairing these damaged stations.”

However, both Federal and Lagos State Government may not be ready to channel their resources to rebuilding the Stations and the implication is that most of the stations will continue to make use of canopies and containers as makeshift offices for a longer period.