Senate mandates Army, Navy, Police to stop criminal syndicates in creeks, waterways
Worried about the increase in the activities of criminal syndicates who specialize in kidnapping and militant activities in and around communities in Lagos the Lagos East Senatorial District, particularly Epe, Ikorodu, Ibeju Lekki Local Government Areas, the senate has advised the Federal Government to direct the Inspector General of Police to immediately instruct the Commissioner of Police, Lagos States to immediately beef up the strength of the task force already on ground in order to effectively secure all the affected creeks and communities.
The advice is contained in Tuesdays resolutions of the senate on the urgent need for the Nigeria Police Force and other Security Agencies to intervene in the increased rate of kidnapping in the Lagos East Senatorial District and secure the waterways.
The motion sponsored by Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) expressed concern that the activities of the criminals have forced law abiding residents of coastal /riverine communities of the affected communities to flee their communities and livelyhood out of fear.
In reference to last Friday’s incident where one Mr Ademola Salami, a 42-year-old wood dealer was kidnapped in Ise community causing the traditional ruler, Oba Ganiyu Adegbesan to vacate the community due to high level of insecurity in the area, Senator Ashafa said that the situation has deteriorated so much to the extent that a divisional police station commissioned in Ise has become empty as no police officers were deployed there for seven years until recently.
Ashafa further observed that the recent kidnap incidents have assumed a totally new and disturbing dimension that police officers and military personnel recently lost their lives to after suspected militants attacked Ishawo, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state.
“These militants were equally reported to have stormed the communities through the coastal waters using gunboats and speedboats,” he explained.
In its resolutions in accordance to the prayers of the motion, the senate advised the Federal Government to also direct the Inspector General of Police to immediately make available sufficient helicopters for aerial surveillance and gunboats to the Marine Police department of the Lagos State Police Command to enable the State Command effectively tackle the activities of the militants.
The Senate further urged the Army, Navy and other security agencies to assist the Nigeria Police Force in its quest to rid Lagos State, particularly the creeks in Lagos East Senatorial District of criminal syndicates making use of its waterways to perpetrate crime.
