CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, is worried by complaints from some neighbourhoods in Lagos alleging increased activities of petty thieves and robbers who specialised in vandalising vehicles parked by the roadsides at night.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that this was disclosed by the PPRO, CSP Chike Oti, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal.
He said that to reverse the trend, the CP has in addition to his directives to Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to carry out strings of operations in their areas of responsibilities, advised all communities in Lagos to adopt the following measures in order to improve security in their areas:
1. All streets/communities should as a matter of urgency appoint a Chief Security Officer (CSO) from their midst. This exercise is to be coordinated by the CDA of such area.
2. It will be the responsibility of the CSO to get the phone numbers of DPOs, operation officers, patrol and guard officers closest to them and distribute same widely to members of their community.
3. It will be the responsibility of the CSO to arrange for street guards who will keep watch at night and raise the alarm when necessary to frustrate night marauders.
4. It will be the responsibility of the CSO to reinvigorate and coordinate the already existing joint vigilante/police patrol at night between 12 midnight and 4am in conjunction with the DPO of that locality.
5. In areas where vigilante groups have not been formed in accordance with laid down legal/operational modalities earlier issued by the Commissioner of Police, it will be the responsibility of the CSO to immediately liase with his DPO to ensure that these vigilante groups are set up.
6. The CP has also observed that the two toll free lines, 767/112 are jammed due to call traffic. To reduce the strain on these lines, the CP has released the following 10 numbers domiciled at the Citizen Complaint Hot Centre
(CCHC) for use by communities to alert law enforcement officers:
1. 08067945296
2. 08063025274
3. 08063104759
4. 08113615350
5. 08113683077
6. 08096283148
7.,08096283173
8. 08089781657
9. 08126404930
10. 08081426895
7. It will be the responsibility of the CSO to ensure that these lines are given widest publicity.
The CP wishes to reiterate that security is not only a joint endeavour but an expensive business. He therefore enjoined communities to pay their security dues to enable CSOs to put in place street guards to complement the effort of the police.
Finally, the Commissioner of Police assured Lagosians of security in the remaining part of the yuletide season and enjoined them to celebrate and enjoy moderately during the festive period.