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By Christopher Oji
Residents and stakeholders in security under the jurisdiction of the Satellite Police Division, Agboju, Lagos State Police Command, last Wednesday, played host to the commander of Area E, Festac Town, Assistant Commissioner of Police Egburuaja Nwachukwu.
The stakeholders bared their minds to the commander on the security challenges confronting the area and suggested ways of overcoming the problems and creating synergy with the police.
During the the meeting, the area commander, Nwachukwu, who listened attentively to the complaints and suggestions on how to tackle the avalanche of security challenges, including armed robbery, extortion by touts, assassination, kidnapping, land grabbing, police extortion and misconduct, among other things, promised to address the problems. He warned all criminals to steer clear of the area, turn a new leaf or risk his wrath.
The stakeholders, community leaders and organisations, including Coscharis Group, The Sun Publishing Company and many others, bared their minds on what Nwachukwu should do to turn things around for the better.
Nwachukwu, who took over as the Area E commander barely three weeks ago, was welcomed by the community amid cheers and applause. The police boss was visibly surprised at the large turnout at the meeting but expressed his disappointment that politicians, especially House of Assembly members and the local government chairman, were not present.
First to speak was the divisional police officer (DPO) of Satellite Police Station, Oyin Adegbite, a chief superintendent of police, who told the gathering how the bad roads to the station and the entire community were hampering effective policing, response to distress calls, and how the station was always affected by flood whenever there was rainfall. She also told the area commander they needed more patrol vehicles.
However, she was elated that Nwachukwu visited her division three weeks after assuming duty as the area commander.
“I have told you my challenges but, against all odds, we are doing wonderfully well in the area of crime fighting. We are not deterred, as we go on foot patrols and use motorcycles to respond to distress calls, because we don’t have enough patrol vehicles, and the roads are in bad shape.
“Sir, kindly help us to reach out to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to give us more vehicles and other logistics. We are doing our best in the area of crime fighting but, if we are well equipped, we will perform better,” she said.
Chairman of Kirikiri Industrial Estate Association, Ambassador Nwameme Joel, who represented Coscharis Group, said they would like the area commander to look into the issue of extortion by motor touts, who intimidate drivers and collect tolls from them without fear of security agencies.
“How can touts be extorting huge amounts of money from people doing legitimate business unchallenged? Companies are closing shop because of the economic challenges confronting us. Yet, the few people who have the courage to carry on with their legitimate business are being extorted.
“The commander, as a matter of urgency, should do something drastic about hoodlums that seem to have taken over the entire community. From Maza Maza to First Gate, down to Abule Ado, criminals are grouping and regrouping.
“There is no type of crime that they don’t commit: armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, assassination, killings and giving information to robbers. There is no crime you can’t find there. The police are determined to work, but they need adequate manpower to work. We are ready to assist the police.
“However, I want to thank the DPO, who has been working tirelessly. I did not believe that a woman would be able to perform so well. As a patron to the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), I want to say without mincing words that the female DPO is performing wonders,” Nwameme said.
Mr. Christopher Oji, who represented The Sun Publishing Company, encouraged the community to support the division with what they can afford, pledging that The Sun newspapers would always assist by publishing the activities of the command and highlighting the areas where the government needs to come in, like the bad roads and activities of hoodlums and exposing any crime, especially extortion.
Oji said: “I have known the area commander for over 20 years. He is a teacher and a no-nonsense man. He was in the public relations department of the Lagos State Police Command, so he is a PR personality. He has served as DPO in many stations, so he is a grassroots man.
“For the female DPO, she is a workaholic that will perform wonders. I have also known her for over a decade.”
A stakeholder, who did not want his name mentioned for security reasons, urged the area commander to look into the issue of extortion by some unscrupulous policemen under his jurisdiction. He said: “The policemen go about in mini bus (korope), extorting money from motorists. The worst is the harassment of young people, searching their phones. They did that to my son, a medical student. What are they searching for in someone’s phone? The issue of hoodlums attacking motorists cannot be overemphasised, as well as the issue of trucks taking over our roads, which is becoming too devastating.
“Again, land grabbers are having a field day sacking the original land owners, and they are being aided by the police. Finally, the menace of Okada riders, especially those from a certain part of the country, is a very big problem to us here. They are armed with dangerous weapons to the extent that, when a motorist has a problem with one of them, they will storm the place in their numbers and start unleashing terror on innocent people.
“The police should urgently do something about it. Our lives are not secure in the hands of the Okada riders. The police should organise talks for them, because they are losing it.”
The leader of the Hausa community, Mr. Mukaila Saliu, agreed with the submission, but said that they have started addressing the issue. He said: “It is no more business as usual.
“We are talking to them (Okada riders). I work with the Sarkin Hausa in the area. Every Sunday, we talk to them. You can attest to the fact that, wherever there are such developments, you must see me there. We shall get to a level where we don’t see it anymore.”
Nwachukwu, who promised better policing in the area, said, with the help of Adegbite, the community would surely experience better policing. Taking note of the road to the police station, the area commander said: “There is a budget for the road. It is a shame seeing the deplorable state of the road. If I had seen the local government chairman of this area or the House of Assembly member representing this constituency, I would have told them to their faces that they should do something drastic about the road.”
Nwachukwu also addressed all the issues raised in the deliberations by stakeholders. He assured them that he would play his part to secure the community and called on other parties to play their part.
He said: “For the police station that is always flooded, I will advise the community to do something. We thank you for what you have been doing. You are our customers, and, as you know, customers are always right. But this is where community policing plays a role.
“Police stations are powered by the people. I was a DPO in Shasha and I put up a storey building through community effort. This community should do something urgent about the state of the police station. The police station is there to serve you better.
“We need the community. There is nothing we can do without the community. You are our customers. If I had my way, I would change the name of the Nigeria Police Force to Nigeria Police Service.
“The community should also assist us in the area of crime fighting by speaking out in the face of evil. If you see something, say something. Security begins with you. If you see anything negative, shout out.
“Every man is the CSO of his house, while the wife is the second in command. When the husband is not around, his wife should take over. Before you sleep, check the doors. When your children come back from any outing, make sure that you cross-check whether they locked the door or not. If you don’t lock your doors, criminals will have free access to your house.
“Finally, the public should always report matters to the police and not the military. It is wrong to report a civil matter to the navy or the army. We are a democracy and not a military regime. Take your cases to the police. It is illegal to report cases to the military.
“I advise that the community should support the DPO. She has a vision. Help her to actualize the vision. As for my officers and men, I will have a closed-door meeting with them. Where I need to lambast them, I will do, and where I need to commend them, I will, too. But be rest assured that all the issues you raised will be seriously addressed.
“For instance, the issue of searching people’s phones by the police has ceased to exist. It is taboo to touch people’s phones, not to talk of searching them. On the issue of trucks taking over the roads, it will stop when the government does the needful. Once the road is fixed, the government will start towing the vehicles and issuing tickets to the drivers. You won’t see vehicles being parked carelessly on the road. As for other crime-related issues mentioned, we shall tackle them.”
He thanked the stakeholders, who took time off their tight schedule to honour the invitation of the DPO, stressing that he will not disappoint them as he would tackle the issues raised without delay.
