MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Idowu Owohunwa, has hit the Prison authorities by alleging that they have turned correctional centres into training grounds for hardened criminals and reproducing criminal gangs threatening peace in the society.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that CP Owohunwa stated this while parading three suspects, who allegedly robbed and killed Senator Solomon Adeola’s aide, Mr. Sanni Adeniyi, at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos.
He expressed concern over the different criminal gangs allegedly having correctional centres as breeding grounds, which was attested to by some criminals arrested over time.
However, the Police boss did not state if it was the prison officials that were actually training those hardened criminals and sending them back to the society.
He explained that the three suspects, Alfred Tokunbo, Lucky Michael and Segun Adedigba, who were behind the murder of Sanni Adeniyi, have been arrested and sentenced many times for various crimes and handed jail terms. But while serving their sentences, they were connected to form criminal gangs.
The Police chief stated that the suspects, Tokunbo, Michael and Adedigba, were also connected to international criminal suspects from the Custodian Centres.
“Our Custodian Centres, unfortunately, still remain the breeding ground for criminal elements that will find their way out to the system, come out more vicious, more armed, more hardened, more heartless to threaten the internal security of the State.”
“We are still exploring the depth of this situation and the good thing is that the attention of the Inspector General of Police and Governor of Lagos State have been drawn to this. We are sure that the findings of this investigation will be utilised to escalate this concern,” he said.
Owohunwa said he was also worried about the fact that the judicial system was unwittingly contributing to some of the challenges experienced as law enforcement officers.
“As I specifically mentioned, on multiple occasions, the suspects have been processed through the judicial system and they always come out free.
The appeal here is that much as we are interested in advancing the cause of justice, it is expedient that we also appeal that we find the balance between justice administration, criminal justice delivery and overriding internal security situation in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.”
“That will help us as law enforcement agencies; it will lessen the loads on us, in term of recycling suspects, is a major problem we are witnessing of late in Lagos State,” he noted.
The Police boss said his third concern was a highly complex case, which has to do with notorious criminal cells, with transnational network, threatening the security and peace of Lagos.
Owohunwa pointed out that most of the vehicles robbed from Lagos and taken to Cotonou, may possibly be recycled back into the Nigerian market, stressing that whoever falls into the temptation of buying them stands the risk of being brought to justice.
On the usage of Military uniform by suspected criminals, Owohunwa said most of the criminals only disguised like Military officials while carrying out their criminal activities.
“Another worrisome component is the resort to impersonating the Military in order to perfect their crime. When it occurred, there is always a wide concern and outcry that Military men are involved.”
“Through the painstaking investigative and intelligence activities of the Nigeria Police, we have been able to establish that the brains behind this crime only took advantage by acquiring military kits, uniforms and accoutrements.”
“They do this in order to deceive the public, the victims and perfect their crimes. Some of these kits are gotten from open markets,” he said.
The Police boss said that they have, to a large extent, disrupted the current network of the criminals. He assured that the Lagos Police Command will allow residents of the state to have the space they require to enjoy their liberty.
“No matter how long, no matter how short, the long arms of the law will definitely catch up with criminals. We have the capacity, We have the orientation, we have the motivation.
This is a clear statement. No matter how complex it is to go after them, we pursue them until we bring them to justice,” he assured.
As the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the Prison authorities over the allegation by the Police in Lagos State.