Christopher Oji
The police have warned residents of Lagos and Ogun states to desist from setting up bonfires on the road as the act is creating serious panic in the states.
In separate appeals, the Commissioners of Police in charge of Ogun and Lagos states said the act was causing serious apprehension, panic, and tension.
Commissioner of Police, Ogun State police command, Kenneth Ebirison claimed that such an act is creating apprehension among the residents.
Ebirison said: “I urge everyone setting up bonfires with tyres on their streets in the name of protecting the community to desist from it as it is causing panic among the residents.
“As I speak to you, police tactical teams and mobile policemen have been deployed to areas where these alarms are coming from. I can confidently tell you that they are on the ground but for the avoidance of doubts, phone me,” he said.
He said rather than causing unnecessary panic, people should put a distress calls to 08081770416, 08081770419.
He said his team had gone through Agbado, Agbado crossing, Oke-Aro, Ifo, Ota and other Ogun environs, stating, “there is no single crime statistic indicating that somebody was robbed, kidnapped, injured in all these crimes we have heard.”
He noted that videos showing bonfires do not lay credence to attacks in those areas. He said: “You see videos setting bonfires that do not translate to attacks. The people burning the fire are the people causing the apprehensions.”
He said he had spoken with some youths that setting up bonfires was actually aggravating fears.
He reiterated that community policing strategy is helpful when critical stakeholders partner the police.
He urged for partnership with the police in terms of prevention of crime and intelligence-information gathering to resolve crisis even as he made it clear that the suspects paraded recently were those picked up in connection with supremacy battle amongst cult groups.
He stuck to the position that up till this morning, there was no report of robbery attacks and injuries to anybody.
He, however, acknowledged that during the lockdown in the state, the issue of supremacy battle was what the police were contending with.
He lamented that cult activities would automatically change the colouration of the neighbourhood.
He opined that the distresses in neighbourhoods had challenged the police to embark on fears-reduction patrol.
On his own part, his Lagos State counterpart, Hakeem Odumosu, also said the police would no longer tolerate people setting up bonfires on the roads.
The CP who spoke through Lagos State police public relations officer, DSP Bala Elkana, said bonfires were causing tension; “we urge everyone setting up bonfires with tyres on their streets in areas like Abule Egba, Mangoro, Ogba, etc, in the name of protecting the communities to desist from that as it is causing panic amongst the residents. Police officers have been deployed to all locations affected to prevent any form of crime. #BeSafe #StayAtHome”
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