Christopher Oji And Chioma Igbokwe

The new Commissioner of Police in Lagos CP Zubairu  Muazu yesterday resumed work fully with a promise that the State Police Command was fully prepared for President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the State today, Saturday .

Muazu who read riot act to hoodlums ,especially political thugs ,armed robbers and kidnappers to stay away from trouble  warned that the Command  under his watch would not condone any act of violence during and after the president’s visit .

The Lagos State Police boss also warned all those who may wish to take laws into their hands to stay clear of the venue of the rally, saying that anyone arrested would be decisively dealt with.

He said that he had held meetings with all the Area Commanders and their respective Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to ensure adequate security before, during and after the rally.

“As we all know the APC presidential rally is going to hold tomorrow (Saturday). I have had fruitful deliberations with all senior staff officers of the Command. My directive to them is simple; adequate security and anyone who  disobeys this will have his or herself to blame” he added.

He warned hoodlums, especially political thugs, armed robbers and kidnappers not to dare the police, saying that the command’s mandate was to maintain law and order.

“We are going to consolidate on the security structure put in place by the outgoing Commissioner of Police, he is the only one that is posted out of Lagos, all his operatives are still on ground. I will work with them to see that we  win the war on crime and criminality

“I am warning criminals to stay away from Lagos or turn a new leaf as we are ready for them.  Like I said, I have just finished security meeting with senior police officers. We have mapped out strategies to deal with the issue of crime  and I am serious about it. We also talked on corruption. We have zero tolerance to corruption.

“We are fully prepared for the president’s visit. There is no cause for alarm. Members of the public should go about their normal business as we will leave up to our mandate of  protecting life and property” , he said.

Meanwhile, following the apprehension that has greeted the scheduled visit of President Muhammadu Buhari for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential rally on Saturday, the Lagos State Government on Friday allayed fears of residents assuring that there would be no roads closure as earlier announced.

 Briefing journalists in Alausa, the State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Ladi Lawanson said the earlier statement announcing diversion and road closure had been reviewed, adding that residents were free to go about their businesses.   

 Lawanson, who is also a member of the transport sub-committee for the presidential visit and the APC rally, said Lagosians should jettison an earlier announcement by the committee to the effect that there would be road closure.

 He said: “Lagosians have been very apprehensive that there will be traffic gridlock and we got a lot of feedbacks that we intend to grind Lagos to a halt. People are apprehensive; they think we are going to shut down Lagos; they think movement would be restricted and they are bracing themselves for what they anticipate would be the hardship that would be visited on them by the president’s visit and our own activities.

 “The purpose of this press conference is to clarify that and to state emphatically that there will be from zero to minimal adverse effect of the President’s visit tomorrow. I repeat, there will be between zero to the barest minimum amount of disruptions to the normal movement that Lagosians undertake on a Saturday like tomorrow (today).

So, there will not be any road closures in Lagos tomorrow and Lagosians are free to go about their normal businesses tomorrow, Saturday.”

He said adequate arrangement had been firmed up to ensure free flow of traffic, but that residents should expect tight security around the routes which the President is expected to pass through in the course of his visit and the venue of the rally. 

 “We would just like to communicate that because we are expecting a high caliber personality no less a person than the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the normal security precautions that attend a visit of this nature should be expected. The President would visit Lagos tomorrow with the full retinue of security aides that protect him and his entourage but there will not be any road closures and there will be zero to minimal disruptions of normal activities,” the Commissioner said.

 Lawanson, who addressed the briefing alongside the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Wale Musa and the Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Hyginus Omeje, said there would be huge presence of officials of the police, LASTMA, FRSC and other agencies to ensure free flow of traffic around the Surulere axis.

 “Around the venue of the rally which is the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere and the adjourning streets are traffic management agencies such as LASTMA, FRSC, Police and other agencies that would support them tomorrow.

 “They will handle the traffic management around the venue tomorrow and so people can expect to see a huge presence of our traffic management officers fully on ground to ensure that there is free flow of traffic. We consider it important to clarify this so that we can communicate to Lagosians and give them the assurance that Lagos and especially Surulere would not be on lockdown,” the Commissioner said.