Tasks before new Lagos CP, Edgal

Edgar Imohimi, the new Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command.

AS Mr. Imohimi Edgal, yesterday, assumed duty as the new Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, the cosmopolitan city that rarely goes to sleep, no doubt, has peculiarities that call for special attention.

Indifference to rules and regulations, kidnapping, particularly of students, cultism, jungle justice by irate mobs are prevalent in Lagos today, needing the serious attention of any Police.

A statement by Spokesman for the Command, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said that Edgal assumed office following his confirmation as the new Commissioner in Lagos State by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
According to the statement, “Edgal Imohimi has taken over and assumed duty in official capacity as the new Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, with immediate effect.

“Formal handing and taking over notes went on smoothly between the former and new Lagos State Police Commissioners.”

Until his appointment as Lagos Police Commissioner, Imohimi was in charge of operations in Lagos State.

Owoseni hands over

Famous-Cole’s statement added: “Fatai Owoseni has handed over to the new Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Edgar Imohimi.

“The Command would like to state that at no point in time did the former Commissioner, Owoseni, refuse to obey the lawful directives of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

“Owoseni wished the officers and men of the Command all the best under the leadership of Edgal Imohimi, at the Officer’s Mess, during a conference where senior officers, area commanders, DPOs and HODs were all present today (yesterday).

“The official brief from the outgoing Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, to officers was to devote the same official capacity they once had with him to the efforts of the new Commissioner, to continue to make Lagos State peaceful and crime free.

“Imohimi had a quick security brief with the officers for the public holiday and warned officers to make sure the Sallah break is hitch free with robust Police visibility.”

This is Lagos

Lagos’s special status as the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria and, indeed, West Africa, understandably poses a great threat to public security as diverse people from sundry parts of the world and for different reasons come to Lagos on a daily basis.

With a population that is close to 24 million out of the country’s estimated population of 180 million, security challenge in the state is peculiar and, therefore, needs a peculiar solution.

Consequently, successive administrations in the state had evolved various strategies to tackle crimes.

Tackling crimes

Colonel Buba Marwa Administration responded to criminal activities in the state with a security outfit known as Operation Sweep.

The outfit was restructured, re-organised and renamed Rapid Response Squad, RRS, under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, who also devised various poverty alleviation programmes as the economic infrastructure of fighting crime.

Security was also an integral part of the 10-Point Agenda of the immediate past governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, was conceived to institutionalise an enduring public/private approach to security challenges in the state by that government.

Building on the successes of his predecessors, current Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has been working relentlessly, with key stakeholders, to advance security in the state.

To underscore Governor Ambode’s seriousness in ensuring the security of lives and property of Lagosians, the governor re-branded and repositioned the state’s RRS.

Within six month of his assumption of office, he procured and handed over to RRS three helicopters, two patrol boats, 100 motorcycles, 13 BM power bikes, 60 Ford salon cars, 55 Ford Rangers, 40 Toyota Landcruiser SUVs, 31 Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC, as well as Police uniforms and other kits.

  Vanguard News.