By Kazeem Ugbodaga.
The Lagos State Police Command has raided major dark spots in the Lagos metropolis for criminals and hoodlums, just as it intensifies its surveillance across the state. The move is to push criminals out of the state which had been terrorising the state in the last few weeks.

Commissioner for Police, Fatai Owoseni briefed newsmen this evening after the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the state House, Ikeja. According to him, the police had raided major crime areas like Falomo, uncompleted buildings in Ebute Metta, Eko Bridge, Third Mainland Bridge and several others and succeeded in driving hoodlums and criminals away from the areas.

At the meeting which lasted for hours, Owoseni said the Council deliberated on the margin of security challenges and trends confronting the state and the strategies to address them especially as the festive period approaches. He added that the Council also reviewed the security architecture of the state and resolved to improve on the strategies and techniques to wage war against all forms of criminal activities, especially traffic robberies.

“We looked again at the margin of security challenges and trends that we are facing in Lagos and the need to rededicate ourselves. The Council also came up with the need for us to re-commit our personnel to addressing these challenges with a view to ensuring that as we approach the yuletide, the Christmas period, we would be able to at least reduce the crimes and criminalities in the state to the barest minimum and to reassure our people in Lagos that the government is committed to their safety,” he said.

The Police boss said the Council also appraised the activities of the security agencies and came to a conclusion that within the past few days, there has been a reduction in some of these incidents. He, however, said security agencies will not rest on their oars, just as he pledged that they would recommit themselves and make the visibility more pronounced on the roads and ensure that enforcement is decisively carried out.

Owoseni, who briefed journalists alongside other heads of some security agencies in the state, added, “If you go to Falomo now, that is one of the areas that were identified; the place has been raided of the miscreants that have been occupying the place and it’s been freed. Some other areas have been raided and have been freed. Some uncompleted buildings in Ebute Metta have been freed of miscreants while the government is working on getting the owners of some of these abandoned properties and is considering whether the approvals that have been given to them should be revoked,” he said.

Asked if the security agencies in the state have been overwhelmed by the pockets of criminal activities reported in some areas, Owoseni said: “The police are not overwhelmed. You would have seen increased presence of police on the roads. If we are overwhelmed, you will not see those personnel on the roads; if you go on the Eko Bridge now, go on third Mainland Bridge, you will find out that we have increased police presence there.”

Those at the meeting include the Commander Nigeria Navy Ship Beecroft Apapa, Navy Commodore Abraham Adaji; Commander, 9th Mechanised Brigade, Major General Mohammed Sabo; Commander 435 Base Service Group, Ikeja, Air Commodore Danladi Santa Bausa; Director, State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Adekunle Ajanaku and the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello.