Connect with us

General

LASG Vows To Seize Houses Keeping Criminals

Published

on

criminals in lagos

Disturbed by the increasing rate of crime in Lagos State, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has warned property owners hiding criminals in their buildings risk losing their structures.

This decision was reached during the monthly State Security Council Meeting chaired by him.

Ambode also said his government would henceforth scale up enforcement of restriction of commercial motorcycles, popularly called Okada, on certain routes and ban on street trading, adding that security agencies have been placed on red alert.

The Governor said he has resolved to henceforth embark on massive and aggressive confiscation of properties used as hideouts by criminal elements in the State.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, said the government decided to take these steps following recent security threats in the State, and the need to take strong and decisive action to address the situation.

According to Owoseni, “The take away for today after the Security Council Meeting is for us to look at all the strategies that we have been employing in tackling the security challenges that we had in the State and to further strategise with the view to sustaining those measures that would put all the criminal elements in check and the Security Council of the State has come out to let our people know emphatically that the State is more poised at tackling all the criminal challenges and making sure that all the criminal elements that are going about in the State will not be allowed any free reign; they will not be given freedom of space to practice any of their criminal acts.

“There is no hiding place for criminal elements again in the State and as we get them, they would be made to face the full wrath of the law. In addition to that, the Council resolved that any structure or any places of hiding that criminal elements are using in the State, the State will not hesitate, in the interest of the public, to take over those safe havens, structures or houses that these criminal elements are using as hiding places to perpetrate their criminal activities.”

The CP added that the Council also resolved that in as much as government had been enforcing the Okada restriction with human face, the law would henceforth be scaled up to achieve the purpose of its enactment.

He said: “The State still want to use this opportunity to further enlighten the public on the need to observe those laws that have been made in order to make life easy for the good people of Lagos.

“The two particular ones that we have looked at is the restriction of the commercial motorcycles to certain routes in the State and of course the activities of street traders. What we want people to know is that the State is not sleeping on its enforcement duties but government is just trying to be responsible in the way these laws are enforced.

“The Security Council wants us to seize this opportunity to let the people know that these laws are made to be complied with and that we will not stop at making sure that they are enforced as they are supposed to be, and that elements that contravene these laws would also be made to face the law.”

He debunked insinuations as to whether there were challenges in enforcing the laws, saying that government was only trying to enforce the law with human face and urged the people to cooperate with government.

Owoseni also advised criminal elements in the State to turn a new leaf and get themselves meaningfully engaged, as there is no hiding place for them in the State.

He further charged residents to be security conscious, saying that security starts with the people.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

General

Nigerians Can Film Police on Duty—Court Declares

Published

on

film police on duty

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has affirmed the right of Nigerians to film personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on duty.

The judgment was given by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa on Tuesday in a case filed by Mr Maxwell Uwaifo in suit number FHC/WR/CS/87/2025.

The court held that Nigerians have the constitutional right to use any device to record police officers executing their official duties in public.

It was ruled that police officers must wear visible name tags, display their force numbers, and must not harass, intimidate, arrest, or seize devices from citizens documenting their activities.

The court awarded the applicant N5 million in damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and N2 million for the cost of litigation.

Business Post reports that the respondents in the case were the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the NPF, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

The lawyer filed the case in accordance with Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 of the Constitution of Nigeria and others.

“This judgement has significant implications for policing standards, civil liberties, and public accountability across Nigeria,” Mr Uwaifo said after the judgement.

Continue Reading

General

Lagos Consumes 30% of Total Power Off-Take in Nigeria—TCN

Published

on

TCN EKEDC Total Power Off-Take in Nigeria

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The General Manager in charge of Transmission for Lagos Region of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Adeshina Adeonipekun, has stressed the critical role of Lagos in the national grid.

While receiving the chief executive of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Ms Wola Joseph Condotti, at his office on Monday, he said the Lagos region accounts for about 30 per cent of total power off-take in Nigeria.

He stated that TCN was implementing strategic expansion and project upgrades aimed at enhancing grid stability and operational efficiency in response to rising demand.

Mr Adeonipekun highlighted recent key milestones achieved in the region, including the commissioning of a 100MVA power transformer at the Ijora 132/33kV Transmission Substation, a 300MVA transformer at the Lekki 330/132kV Transmission Substation, and a 125MVA unit at the Agbara 132/33kV Substation, among others.

According to him, these additions have further increased the region’s installed capacity to 5,470MVA on the 132/33kV network and 4,110MVA on the 330/132kV network.

He further said that there were several ongoing rehabilitations at key substations within the region, including Amuwo GIS, Akoka 132/33kV, and Itire 132/33kV Transmission Substations, all geared towards further improving reliability, reducing system constraints, and enhancing the overall efficiency of power delivery.

In her remarks, Ms Condotti expressed appreciation for TCN’s continued partnership and support, underscoring the importance of sustained collaboration between transmission and distribution companies in building a more stable and efficient electricity transmission and supply network.

Both parties explored ways to strengthen collaboration and ensure a more stable and efficient power supply in Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub.

Continue Reading

General

Anambra to Regain Economic Strength After End to Sit-at-Home—Soludo

Published

on

soludo second term

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Governor of Anambra, Mr Chukwuma Soludo, says the years-long sit-at-home is now a thing of the past in the state as it will bring back lost economic viability to the South East state.

The governor spoke on Tuesday during his inauguration for a second term as the leader of the state, noting that security has improved in Anambra.

“The debilitating one-sit-at-home is over, and our schools, markets, businesses, and public servants are back to work. Reports say that ours is now the safest, or at least one of the safest states in Nigeria,” Mr Soludo said.

The second inauguration of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) witnessed eminent Nigerians, including ex-presidents Mr Goodluck Jonathan and Mr Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as the Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, among others.

“I’m sure many of you flew into Anambra yesterday, being Monday. Previously, it was not possible,” he said at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital.

Primarily associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist group advocating for an independent Biafran state, the sit-at-home saw millions of South-East residents remain indoors, shut their businesses, and stay off the roads on Mondays. Initially, it was declared as a weekly protest (especially on Mondays) to demand the release of IPOB leader, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, in 2021 by the Federal Government and draw attention to the separatist cause.

The cause had significant socio-economic consequences in the South-East states like Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.

However, Mr Soludo referenced several milestones, including the destruction of criminal camps and the “mass return” of Anambra indigenes during the Yuletide, as evidence of improving security in the state.

“Some 62 criminal camps have been dismantled, and 8 local governments previously under total siege have been liberated,” the governor said.

“Anambra had its best Christmas season in decades last December with a mass return and over 10,000 visitors per day to the Solution City every day until the 10th of January.”

Part of the measures to address insecurity in Anambra was the Homeland Security Law 2025, a measure the governor said contributed to the reduction in criminality.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mr Soludo as the winner of the November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State. The APGA candidate polled a total of 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu, who scored 99,445 votes, while the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, Mr Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes.

Continue Reading

Trending