Christopher Oji

The Police have warned residents of Lagos and Ogun states to desist from setting up bonfire on the road as the act is creating serious panic in the states.

In separate appeals, the Commissioners of Police said the act was causing serious apprehension, panic and tension.

Ogun State police commissioner, Ebirison, said: “I urge everyone setting up bonfires with tyres in their streets in the name of protecting the community to desist from it as it is causing panic among residents. As I speak to you, Police tactical teams, mobile policemen have been deployed to areas where these alarms are coming from. I can confidently tell you that they are on ground but for the avoidance of doubts, phone me.”

He said rather than causing unnecessary panic, people should call the following distress phone lines: 08081770416, 08081770419. He said that his team had gone through Agbado, Agbado crossing, Oke-Aro, Ifo, Ota and other Ogun environs.  He stated: “There is no single crime statistic indicating that somebody was robbed, kidnapped or injured in all these crimes we have heard.”

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He noted that videos showing bonfires do not lay credence to attacks in those areas. He said: “When you see videos setting bonfires that do not translate to attacks. The people burning the fire are the people causing the apprehensions.”

He said that some youths setting up bonfires are actually aggravating the fears. He reiterated that community policing strategy is helpful when critical stakeholders partner with the police. He advocated for partnership with the Police in terms of prevention of crime and intelligence-information gathering to resolve crisis. He clarified that the suspects paraded recently were those picked in connection with supremacy battle amongst cult groups.

He reaffirmed his position that there was no report of robbery attacks and injury to anybody. He, however, acknowledged that during the lockdown in the state, it is the issue of supremacy battle that the Police are contending with. He said the cult activities would automatically change the colouration of the neighbourhood. He opined that the distresses in neighbourhoods have challenged the Police to embark on fear reduction patrol.

His Lagos State counterpart,  Hakeem Odumosu,  also said the police would no longer tolerate people setting up bonfire on the roads.