The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edgal Imohimi has said that school managements and members of communities should also be blamed for incessant kidnappers’ attacks of schools located around riverine areas.
According to him, school managements and communities’ leaders have a fair share of the blame.
He stressed that security was supposed to be carried out by the police alone.
Fielding questions on security of schools in riverine areas in Lagos State during a town hall meeting with stakeholders in Amuwo Odofin/ Ojo/Oriade and Iba Local Government Councils at Festac, Imohomi said: “The question on security of schools in riverine areas can be answered in four folds; there is the responsibility of government, the responsibility of police and other security agencies, there is the responsibility of the school ownership and management and finally, the responsibility of the community. Those four responsibilities must be met for the schools to be secured. Some people have the erroneous belief that it’s entirely the responsibly of the security agencies. No!
“There are certain minimum standard of security infrastructure that must be put in every school. Proprietors, owners of schools, be them model colleges, command colleges, neighbourhood schools or privately owned, must know that these schools must have perimeter fencing. They must know that these schools must have gates and security men. They must know that there should not be bushes and obstacles around the surrounding. They must know that such schools at night, especially if they have boarding facilities, must have observation posts. They must know that the schools must have flash lights that face the canal/ riverine area, front of the school and that the light must be powered every night. These are not the responsibilities of security agencies.”
Edgal also disclosed that he had directed all Area Commanders and Divisional police Officers to take inventory of all schools in their areas, especially those that are close to rivers and canals.
According to him: “The Area Commanders and DPO’s must immediately go and put note books in those schools. Those note books will be in the custody of guards at the schools. It will be the responsibility of the police to patrol those schools and during each turn of patrol, they are expected to sign those books. This would create Police presence in the school, it will also create monitoring of activities round there and also supervision around guards that are employed in the schools.”
He reiterated the need for each community to establish a vigilante group, as part of their partnership in community policing.
He revealed that three armed policemen would be attached to the vigilante group, even as he threatened to deal decisively with any Area Commander or DPO who refuses to attached armed policemen to an established vigilante group.
He further informed that patrols around reverie areas would be intensified, following the procurement of additional logistics such gun boats to the Marine Police by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Imohimi said: “We have gun boats patrolling the Festac water channel down towards Agabra and its axis. We have others for Ikorodu, Epe, Akodo and Ife axis. There is a strong synergy now between the Police and the Navy.”
First Published 2018
