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 meeting, the area commander, Nwachukwu, 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.