The Police in Lagos have raised a standby intervention squad known as Eko Strike Force, as part of the re-jigged crime prevention and control strategies.

The Strike Force introduced by the Commissioner of Police (CP), Olohundare Jimoh, with the endorsement of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is made up of policemen drawn from the Police Mobile Force (PMF).

Speaking with 35 participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 18, National Institute of Security Studies (NISS) Abuja, who visited the command on a study tour, Jimoh said the Strike Force was stationed at Surulere, which is a nexus between the Island and Mainland of the city state.

The police chief said the crime rate in Lagos had dropped below what was the situation when he resumed two months ago.

He attributed the feat to the synergy that existed among security agencies and the cooperation from the community.

“The crime rate in Lagos State has been reduced to the barest minimum and we are working to ensure it stays low. I want to not only attribute this to our efforts, but also to the support of other security, intelligence and safety agencies that are cooperating with us. The rate I met on ground was not alarming.

This is because Lagos State has a structure that is second to none in the country. We thank Governor Sanwo-Olu for all he has been doing to ensure there is safety in Lagos.

“Just recently, he presented 72 patrol vehicles for police divisions. We know there will be more to assist us further and we are appreciative of the support.”

Speaking about how the command was able to contain activities of armed/violent non-state actors, Jimoh said the establishment of the Strike Force was one of the ways, explaining that its creation had ensured response teams were not pulled from neighbouring divisions to attend to urgent matters.

“Most times when we have an issue to respond to, we normally pull out the patrol team from a specific location to address it and then they go. I saw a loophole there because the non-state actors can capitalise on the absence of patrol teams at that location or reduced manpower in a division to wreak havoc.

“That was why I set up this Eko Strike Force and Mr. Governor agreed to it. They are in Surulere and all of them are mobile officers. As we all know, Surulere is the link between Lagos Island and Mainland.

“They move in if there is any issue of crime, address the issue and then the Area Command or Division takes over from them.

“Last week, we had some disturbances at YabaTech and it was the Eko Strike Force that was deployed there to arrest the situation,” explained CP Jimoh.

He said the command was also working with vigilance groups and community corps, especially those in riverine locations, to ensure they were all on the same page towards ensuring safety and security of Lagosians.

“So they join the patrol with us. And when we have incidence of crime, they equally mobilise to assist us. Since I resumed two months ago, we have not had any case of kidnapping in Lagos.

“The incidents we usually have are those that are traditional with Lagos- street fighting and ‘Omonile’. Actually, we are working with the state government and a lot of arrangements have been put in place that will be unveiled very soon by the governor, on the issue of ‘Omonile’.”

Jimoh assured the course participants that Lagos was safe and secure. He said the security architecture of the state was in tune with the government’s agenda to ensure adequate safety, security for all residents and properties so that businesses would thrive and the economy would continue to boom.

The institute’s Director of Coordination and Liaison, Mrs Foluke Arigbede, who led the delegation, said the study tour was part of the requirements for the course, adding that it would expose the participants to hands-on experience that would be useful when they returned to their agencies.

Among the 35 participants were officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Department of State Services (DSS), Rwanda Police as well as other security and law enforcement agencies. (The Nation)