Encomium
‘No hideouts for criminals’
AS Lagosians are warming up for Christmas and New Year celebrations, the Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, DCP Ngozi Braide has assured that the season is going to be crime free as police would adopt new strategies this time around. She said this and much more, including the allegation of abuse of office leveled against her over the arrest of a foreigner caught taking the photograph of a police officer on duty along Ikorodu Road, Ketu, Lagos days back.
Yuletide is very much around the corner, in what ways are the police preparing to combat crime during the season?
We are fully prepared for the season. Just like the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Abubakar Manko will tell you that to him, this period is like every other period in the country. So, police are always at alert. But what we have done in respect of yuletide is to strengthen some areas security wise. This period we’re going to see high visibility policing. Before 100m from your house, you’re going to be seeing police officers, both the ones in uniform and those in mufti. And the State Crimes Investigations Department (CID) and SID operatives have been equally advised to be more proactive in their areas of intelligence gathering. We are also going to work in conjunction with sister agencies. All the bridges, both the pedestrian and vehicular ones, all the flyovers will all be adequately manned by undercover operatives. There will be continuous raids on all uncompleted buildings and other criminal hideouts in the state. There will be intensive surveillance in all these places.
What of other areas, including…
(Cuts in) Yes, our waterways are not left out, the creeks and all that. Our marine police officers will be on 24 hours patrol. And we’re going to take all the baton points. Our helicopters are all well serviced, all the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) are well serviced and fully operational. They will be stationed at strategic places. All the black spots will be adequately covered. All the financial houses including banks will be fully taken care of. All the market places, churches, mosques, events centres and more will be adequately covered by both the overt and covert operation officers. The Rapid Response Squad officers (RRS) will always be on motorcycle patrol, those on vehicular patrol will also be there. So, we don’t envisage any problem this period. Just as we have done our own part, the rest is also left for the residents to be security conscious because you don’t say you have security agents around, then you leave yourself open. People should also tell their kids the A-Z of security, all the minor things they need to know in the house. For example, they’re not supposed to take things from strangers. Also, in the night, they should put on the security light. Even, in and out. Kids should also be warned against turning on things like radio sets at night because when these things are on, criminals think you’re awake. And when children suspect unusual movement around, they should be taught to report such to either the nearest police stations or their parents. So, it’s just that we can’t do it alone, we also encourage people at this period to also do their bit to complement the effort of the police. People travelling out of Lagos are also advised not to carry a lot of money along. They should make use of their ATM and internet banking. And you don’t discuss money in the open, even in the presence of your housemaid. Parents should also screen the people they bring into the house because when we talk about kidnapping, statistics has it that about 80 per cent of such cases will always have insiders’ connivance. So, you should mind the kind of people you bring into your house not only for this period alone but one should always be mindful of that. We are appealing to the public to be giving us reliable information that will enable us succeed in our work because these criminals we’re talking about are not spirits, they are not aliens. I believe if we all put hands on deck, we will all celebrate a crime free yuletide.
So, you’re assuring all Lagosians that they can sleep with their eyes closed?
Yes, based on the feasibility study we have put in place, I don’t envisage any problem. But then, man proposes, God disposes.
In what way do you hope that Lagos State government can be of support to the police to achieve all you have analysed?
The state government has always been wonderful. The governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola is one in a million. He is somebody whose number one agenda is safety and security of his people. He has assisted in various ways and he is still supporting the state command in everything. He has been working and assisting us all this while. He has been providing vehicles through the Security Trust Fund (STF), and other account payments. I think with that, we will do our best.
We understand that Inspector General of Police is equally interested in Lagos State in terms of security. What is he doing to support the command in accomplishing its aim?
I don’t know why you are still saying the IG is more interested in Lagos State. You know that we have over 17 million people in Lagos. I think Lagos is the largest city in the country. It’s also a cosmopolitan city. People from all walks of life are here. There is nothing you don’t see in Lagos. So, that’s why it appears there is high rate of crime but it is not, considering the effort we put in place to checkmate the excesses of hoodlums. Yes, anybody coming to Nigeria for the first time, the first thing the person hears is Lagos. So, it’s a natural thing that people should be interested in Lagos. You cannot compare the number of foreigners in Lagos with that of all other 35 states. It’s a very unique state. So, naturally, people should be interested in Lagos.
If you assess 2013 from January till date, would you say the police have done creditably in terms of crime control?
Honestly, inasmuch I am not supposed to score myself, but I would like to tell you that Lagos State Police Command has done well under the leadership of CP Umar Abubakar Manko. From the time he assumed office till date, there has not been any bank robbery. That’s a very big plus because when he came, he went to the drawing board, looked at it, dotting his I’s and crossed his ‘T’s. This is the man who had instructed all the Divisional Police Officers (DPO) to always tighten the security in their various domains. Most of the DPOs don’t go home, they always sleep in their offices, all because we want to achieve a crime free state. I can say we have done so well. It should be recalled that last year, the command arrested the highest arms dealer in West Africa, one Tochukwu. He was arrested in Benin, Edo State with a lot of General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), AK 47, HK 49 rifles, rocket launchers. We got all these in his hotel in Delta State. And when we arrested him, he assisted the police to burst others he had sold his arms to, even across the country. And you will also recall that two months ago, there was this robber that had been on police wanted list for over a decade, Godogodo, was arrested by the command. Even, if you look at kidnapping, those involved have brought their styles, thinking that they will be able to go scot-free because of the fact that Lagos is over populated. But as I speak with you now, we have tried to tackle that. If you look at the kidnapping perpetrated in Lagos, you will notice that we have arrested almost all the perpetrators, if not all. So, when I flashback, I also see that cases of daylight robbery are gone. About two years back, you hear that people are robbing at the bus stops, in the traffic and all that. So far, so good, we have done well in 2013. And I am sure 2014 will be better. We’re going to go back again to look at our strategies and see where we didn’t do well in 2013, and see how we can work on it. And where we knew we did well, we consolidate. But considering the crime statistics, it has gone down meaning we did well in 2013 but that doesn’t mean we have to relent on our efforts. Just last three weeks, there was a void robbery attempt at Access Bank’s ATM in the night. Our men quickly switched into action and some of the robbers escaped with bullet wounds. But unfortunately, we lost three of our men. I can tell you now that on Wednesday, December 4, we had arrested all the gang members, and we recovered so many arms and ammunition including AK 147, including the ones of the policemen that lost their lives. So, I believe we’re winning the war. Though, it’s unfortunate that when it happens like that, our men pay with their lives. That’s one of the hazards of the job. The job is of selfless service to humanity.
What’s the assurance now that the police officers will carry out their duties according to the rules of the game during this yuletide because some men of the police are known for their excesses?
You all know that we have the escort, provost department and they go out to check the excesses of our men. And in my office too, I have a Public Complaint Bureau in the Public Relations Department. So, when you feel the police are not doing what they are supposed to do, you come to my office and report or you call the OC Escort, all your complaints will be taken care of. Nobody would say he reported a police officer to me, and didn’t get feedback from me or the person didn’t get justice. People should always come with vital information, it will also assist us in carrying out our duty effectively.
Lest we forget, there was this allegation of abuse of office leveled against you.
How? What do you mean by abuse of office?
They said a foreigner recorded a scene involving a police officer at a check point…
(Cuts in) I can’t abuse my office because I understand what my office entails. I am the image maker of the police in the state. I am a reputation manager, and I am supposed to be the bridge between the public and the police. That means I won’t be here and see the public being oppressed and also I won’t be here seeing the police being oppressed. I am supposed to create a balance between the public and the police. I am supposed to inform the people of what actually happened not what some people are trying to misinform them. Somebody was arrested, I didn’t arrest the person. He was arrested at Ketu, he is a Togolesse. He was taking the photograph of policemen on duty, and he was arrested and brought here. And when they brought him, I took him to the headquarters because he couldn’t explain why he was taking the pictures. There was no connection between the police and anybody. The police was just stopping a danfo driver who drove recklessly. So, we became worried. The man was here begging. I recorded everything on phone, including my interview with him. He too couldn’t explain why he was snapping the police. So, I moved him to the headquarters, and the CP said the escort should take over the matter to ascertain, and he was given bail. He was asked to produce two people to take him on bail because he is not from this part of the country but he couldn’t meet his bail requirement. And he was charged to court. Even, when we were in court, he couldn’t still meet the bail requirement. That’s just what happened, but some people think they can just use that to blackmail me. Let’s be realistic, can you as a Nigerian go to Togo and start taking the photographs of their policemen? It’s not done. I know what my job entails, so I can’t abuse my office.
– TADE ASFIAT
