No More Kidnappers’ Camps In Lagos – CP
The new Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, has said over 200 camps hitherto operated by the men of the underworld have been destroyed in the state.
The CP, who spoke on, ‘The Roles And Expectations Of Security Agencies In Securing Lives And Property In Our Schools’ at an event organized by the Lagos State Government said that there are no longer kidnappers’ camps in the state.
Represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of State Criminal Investigation Department, Mr. Bolaji Salami, he said kidnapping in Lagos State was mainly for ransom collection because the kidnappers were formerly armed robbers and pipeline vandals who were frustrated by the fierce battle that the Police engaged them in.
The result of the sustained battle against bank robbery, according to him, ensured that there has not been a single bank robbery in the state in the last two years forcing the armed robbers to change to kidnapping.
According to him, the schools were seen as soft targets by kidnappers, who wanted to catch in on the sentiment and out pouring of emotion that will come from the public to put pressure on government and parents to pay ransom.
The Police, he said, has deployed armed personnel to all boarding schools to secure them day and night while intensive patrol of all neighborhoods have been heightened to forestall recurrence.
He warned criminals in the state to find something legal to do because the Rapid Response Squad was now in possession of equipment that could locate anyone involved in heinous crimes in any part of the state.
Also speaking, a security expert, Mr. Rawlings Igelugbo, who delivered a paper on ‘The Role of Principals, Vice Principals, Teachers And Students In A Safe Environment’, urged everyone to be security conscious and raise the alarm whenever any suspicious movement was noticed.
He noted that criminals take time to study, plan, execute and get-away, saying that the process could be thwarted before the final stages of execution and get-away by being vigilant and pro-active.
He advised against the use of untrained people as guards, counseling that all employees should be profiled and details about them properly kept.
Earlier, Prof. Mopelola Omoegun, in a lecture titled ‘Towards A Safer School Environment – A Guidance And Counseling Approach’, suggested that giving security tips to children in groups, during assembly and during class room teaching will help them to be security conscious.
