&w=64&q=75)
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has highlighted the progress recorded in the fight against insecurity in Lagos State, noting that only one bank robbery attempt has succeeded in the nation's economic capital since 2007.
Egbetokun disclosed this while speaking at the Lagos State Security Trust Fund's 18th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
The Police chief recalled that Lagos used to be a hotbed of armed robbery and bank robbery but the menaces have since been tamed thanks to the creative intervention of the state government as well as contributions from private sector stakeholders.
He said the police wouldn't have been able to achieve so much success in the state if not for the assistance provided by the government.
“What we are doing here today is the usual assistance that the state government has been giving to the police in the state. Without the assistance that the police receive from the government, we will not be able to do the much we are doing in Lagos State. We would have been overwhelmed with insecurity in Lagos State.
“There was a time that armed robbery, bank robbery was common in Lagos, but I can recall that since 2007 till date, only one bank robbery succeeded in Lagos and that was as far back as 2014. So, the days of armed robbery, bank robbery are gone,” the IGP said.
ALSO READ: Billionaire Femi Otedola donates ₦1bn to Lagos State to fight insecurity
According to Egbetokun, Lagos' status as Nigeria's economic hub has caused it to continue to suffer internal migration, as thousands of people flock into the state every day which according to him has implications for security in the state.
He said this phenomenon makes it imperative for the state police to continue to adapt and strengthen security strategies to meet evolving challenges.
Sanwo-Olu donates 250 vehicles to police
Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the donation of 250 brand-new patrol vehicles, hardware, communications gadgets and protective gear to the police to boost security operations in the state.
The Governor said his administration is scaling up the deployment of technology and data to enhance security as well as monitoring of traffic in the state, disclosing that drone technology will be used to monitor waterways and densely populated areas.
“The EGIS component of our mapping and digitalisation has almost been completed.
“Lagos is now properly mapped, and drone technology will be deployed at appropriate levels to ensure that both our waterways and densely populated areas will enhance area monitoring, crowd management and traffic assessment effectively at various times so that we can sit back in our offices and people can see what is happening at locations and can respond accordingly,” Sanwo-Olu said.