He noted that the Lagos State Police Command where he has served for many years is always proactive. National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP can report that the AIG of Zone 2 Police, AIG Mohammed Ali also charged the Lagos police officers to be on a continuous path of development. This will ensure that their operational capacity and efficiency is heightened.
AIG Mohammed Ari Ali who has served on many occasions in Lagos including DCP (Operations) Lagos Police HQ; Area Commander, Area B; Area Commander, Area C; and DPO of Denton Division revealed: ‘For us in Lagos state, we are proactive, we do not believe in reactive policing. That is why you see our officers whether in uniform combing the city.’
He added: ‘We are reviewing our security architecture to make it more robust than what it is now. The officers of Lagos Command are doing exceedingly well but there is always room for improvement so that we can ensure that this state is rid of criminals.’
The maiden visit to Lagos Police Command was well-attended by the management team and the senior officers in the Command. They include the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Idowu Owohunwa; Deputy Commissioners of Police, Assistant Commissioners of Police, Divisional police officers from various divisions, senior officers, and members of the rank and file. During the meeting, some officers who were recently promoted from ACP to DCP and CSP to ACP ranks in Lagos Police Command were also decorated by the AIG Zone 2, AIG Mohammed Ari Ali.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Idowu Owohunwa noted about the policing style and leadership of the AIG of Zone 2, AIG Ari Ali, ‘Today, he is the most authoritative and most credible encyclopaedia on Lagos state policing in terms of the secrets he has acquired about the dynamics of policing the city.
He has risen through the ranks, he has made an impact. He is familiar about Lagos and we can also not lie to him about what we are going through in Lagos. The templates we are following in Lagos, I will say it is part of the legacy he left for us as DCP (Operations) in Lagos State Police Command. The good thing is also that the staff you left behind are still some of the competent operational officers that are driving the operations of this state and they are doing it with excellence.’
CP Idowu Owohunwa then listed the top three challenges of the Command to AIG Zone 2. ‘We have some challenges in terms of crime management. One of the crimes we are struggling with is cultism, the second is high trafficking in firearms, and the third is gender and domestic violence.’
‘Having identified this 3, we have introduced some strategies which includes decentralizing the tactical units we have at the headquarters to the area commands. Through this effort, they have been able to effectively coordinate with the area commanders and DPOs to impact massively on the rates of cultism within the state. Between February and now, we have arrested no less than 120 cultists and recovered no less than 60 different types of firearms linked to these cultists. We parade these cultists regularly to make people know that under our watch, we won’t allow criminals, they either renounce or vacate the state’, NAOSNP can report.
‘In relation to firearms, almost on a daily basis, our officers recover locally fabricated firearms and imported firearms. It is important that we stop this. Is it that we are having issues with our border management or there are networks within the state that acts as source of supply? Our approach is not just to mop up the arms but to find the sources. All the tactical units have been charged to get to the source.’
‘In relation to domestic violence, our approach is to work with the Office of the First Lady, the DSVA, Gender unit of the Police, NGOs, and so far, we have trained more policemen so that they can have capacity to respond to this threat.’
Finally, Owohunwa made the request of the Lagos Command. He said: ‘We request your fatherly support. We have issues of logistic, we appeal that the peculiar requirement of Lagos state be articulated to the new leadership of the Police. I am sure that our IGP Kayode Egbetokun will take your recommendations serious.’
