•As police recover 32 stolen vehicles
By Christopher Oji
Commissioner of Police , Logos State Command, Olohundare Jimoh has said that the Command is ready for the on coming Local Government election in the state.
The CP at a press conference yesterday at the state police headquarters, Ikeja ,said the command has all it takes to maintain peace and order, before, during and after the election.
“ We have been meeting several days with the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission ( LASIEC), and we have fine-tuned all the arrangements to ensure that we have a peaceful and free and fair local government election throughout the 20 local governments and the 37 LCDAs. As I speak with you, the operation order is out, the deployment of our personnel are equally out and outside that, the Inspector General of Police, has approved additional deployment to us which I won’t tell you the number, but very significant, from all the states that are contiguous to Lagos state. I won’t mention the number, but the approval is in thousands and he didn’t give us only the personnel, he gave us all the equipment that we needed, including the anti-riot equipment.
“ Though not that we don’t have equipment, but this is just to add to what we have, so that we are ready. And equally, we brought all other security and safety agencies in the states on board. We’ve had about two meetings in my office, outside the meeting that we had with the State Electoral Commission.
“ We had a series of meetings and we have detailed out all areas that we have to cover. We have equally ensured that we have enough deployment, that’s why we requested for additional manpower. And no doubt, the Lagos state police command has the highest strength into thousands of police personnel.
“ But we are not leaving anything to chance and that is why we are bringing in police officers from other states to ensure that we have the required number as stipulated by the INEC guidelines for the posting and deployment during elections. So, it is equally important for you to know that we have carried out all our threat assessments and know areas where there is hiccups or problems can come from and they are equally being addressed. The Marine Police has been mobilized to ensure proper patrol of the waterline area.
“ We have in Lagos, we have waterline areas that are urban and we equally have waterline areas that are rural. So, all these major areas have been properly taken care of. So, Lagosians, the electorate, we are quite familiar that we have over 6 million, above 6million people in Lagos, the electorate, that have collected their PVCs. And all of them are encouraged to come out and vote massively for the candidates of their choice. So far, so good. Our plan was in three stages.
“The plan that we put in place before the election, the security arrangement equally for the election proper and the security arrangement for aftermath of the election. Because mostly, there may not be a problem during the election year itself, it may be a problem before. And as we speak, all the political parties, 15 of them that are contesting in this election, are already on the field campaigning and weighing in their supporters on the need to come and support the various parties during the election.
So, everything is going well. So, we equally ensure that aftermath of the election, there is going to be celebrations and there is going to be over-dramatization of either celebration or lost. So, we are equally prepared for that.
“ And that is why our deployment is going to cover the whole week of the election. So that everybody, by Monday after the election, can go back to their official work and official responsibilities. Even if far from Sunday, I have to make it very clear.
“ If there is going to be restriction of movement, we are equally going to let members of the public be aware of the time. But as I speak, we are going to have meeting tomorrow, another meeting next tomorrow. So, the election will be taken if there is going to be restriction of movement in certain area.
“ So, we are good to go for the election. And we are very bold to let you know that the IGP, the local authority have provided all the necessity, everything that we need. From manpower to logistics to everything we need to ensure that we police the election properly.
“ No any single flash of any untoward incident has occurred at the campaign in its way. And we encourage the players, the stakeholders and others, who are participating in the election to play the game according to the rule and to ensure that we are here to secure them. Finally, all the other agencies that are not federal government agencies that have been participating in the national election will not be allowed to participate in security of this election.
“ So, we want you to get it across to them that the police and other security and safety agencies under what we call the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security are strictly those that provide security for the election. So any quasi-locality security organization should know that they shouldn’t come out on the day of the election. If they have any concern, they should send it to us.
“ Additionally, our control room is going to be operational and the control room is going to be held at the command headquarters here where the Deputy commissioner of police in charge of Operations will be fully in charge of control room. All the representatives of all other agencies, including the military, will be in that control room so that if there is any issue of concern anywhere, we are going to meet with you. We equally have the trust and confidence in the State Independent Electoral Commission ,because we have met with them several times and their whole concern is also to ensure that we are on the same page to provide adequate security before, during and after the election.”
Meanwhile, the CP revealed that the Command recovered 36 stolen exotic vehicles and arrested dozens of suspects in connection with car theft, fraud, and cult-related violence.
CP Jimoh, who outlined recent strides made by the Command in enhancing public safety and enforcing the law across the state,said
the recovered vehicles, some valued at hundreds of millions of naira, were traced to various forms of criminal activity, including advanced fee fraud, inter-state vehicle theft, and cases ,where entrusted drivers diverted vehicles for personal gains.
He said some of the vehicles were intercepted while being moved out of Lagos, and others were tracked to locations where they were already sold or still in criminal possession.
Jimoh revealed that the Command was investigating an additional 70 vehicles connected to other open cases. He urged individuals who have lost their vehicles—whether within Lagos or in neighbouring states—to come forward with valid proof of ownership for verification and potential recovery.
In connection with these recoveries, several arrests have been made. The suspects, according to CP Jimoh, would be prosecuted as soon as investigations are concluded. He also disclosed that over 20 cult-related suspects have been arrested in recent days. Weapons recovered from them include: locally fabricated firearms that closely resemble factory-grade rifles—used to commit violent crimes and intimidate victims. He warned that under the law, even handmade weapons constitute firearms and carry severe penalties when used to dispossess or threaten citizens.
Among those arrested is a notorious cult figure known as Wasiu, alias “Aka,” found in possession of five AK-47 rifles. The police said that more than 10 families have come forward to identify him as the individual responsible for the murder of their relatives. CP Jimoh confirmed that investigations are nearly complete, and the suspect, along with anyone found to be aiding him, would face full prosecution.
“To tackle cultism more aggressively, the Command has established and deployed anti-cultism squads across all 14 area commands. These teams, fully supported by the Inspector General of Police, have begun operations and are tracking and apprehending individuals involved in killings, acid attacks, and assaults that have previously disrupted peace in communities and schools.”
CP Jimoh stated that under his leadership, violent crimes—particularly armed robbery—have been reduced to the barest minimum. He credited this to the deployment of new policing strategies, prompt response systems, and logistical improvements supported by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He noted that police response time to distress calls now averages around five minutes across Lagos State.
He also acknowledged the critical support of the public, whose timely reports and actionable intelligence have aided many of the recent successes. CP Jimoh encouraged citizens to continue relaying such information through official control room lines rather than reaching out directly to senior officers, as this streamlines emergency responses.
The Commissioner further highlighted the work of the newly expanded Coastal Crime Response Team, which has grown from five to 19 operational units. These teams, he said, operate in high-risk zones and act as a complement to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), providing immediate intervention in flashpoint areas across the state.
Jimoh concluded by reassuring Lagos residents and visitors that the state remains safe and that the command would continue to work tirelessly to maintain peace and protect lives and property. He issued a firm warning to criminal elements: “Lagos is not a safe haven for you. Either relocate or face the full weight of the law.”