Juliana Francis
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Enforcement Unit has significantly strengthened the state’s security architecture and public safety framework under the leadership of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Adetayo Akerele.
Since assuming office on June 26, 2024, CSP Akerele has steered the agency toward an intelligence-driven approach to policing.
This strategy has successfully dismantled criminal networks and restored order across the metropolis through strategic community partnerships.
Recently addressing journalists at the agency’s headquarters in Oshodi, CSP Akerele emphasised that the Task Force’s recent operational breakthroughs are deeply rooted in a robust collaborative relationship with the public and the media, who act as the eyes and ears of the agency.
“This is the schedule of our interaction with members of the public,” CSP Akerele stated. “We have a media team through which we receive information regarding the agency’s public-facing activities. For some time now, we have been hosting a media party, which is currently ongoing, and several reporters have been a part of it.”
The Task Force Chairman noted that these interactions are not merely social but serve as critical tactical briefings that feed directly into the state’s security apparatus.
He disclosed that the agency hosts quarterly media conferences to map out collaborative strategies, ensuring the smooth running of enforcement programmes.
“Through these meetings, we gather essential information that has consistently proven helpful to our operations,” Akerele explained.
According to him, to institutionalise this flow of actionable intelligence, the Task Force established a fully operational public feedback desk at its headquarters, alongside three specialised tactical sub-teams.
These sub-teams are tasked with conducting surveillance, gathering local intelligence, and analysing high-risk areas to pinpoint exactly where enforcement intervention is required.
“Their goal is to go out, gather information, and study different areas to identify where our attention is needed and what activities require our intervention,” Akerele said. “We then bring this information back, sit down together to discuss it, and fashion out ways to address the problems or issues raised.”
He stressed that this intelligence-led framework has yielded major security and enforcement achievements across Lagos.
He emphasised that, concerning the realm of public safety, the Task Force has aggressively neutralised threats by conducting targeted raids on known criminal hideouts, dismantling illegal shanties that serve as covers for criminal elements, and curbing unregulated street trading, which often congests vital escape routes.
Simultaneously, the agency has locked down traffic regulation enforcement to prevent gridlock-induced robberies.
He further disclosed: “The Task Force has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against dangerous one-way driving, the misuse of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes, and commercial motorcycle (okada) violations on restricted routes. Environmental security has also received a massive boost, with officers aggressively tackling open defecation, illegal waste dumping, and general environmental degradation that threatens public health.”
Acknowledging that sustainable security relies on public trust, CSP Akerele has introduced sweeping internal reforms.
The agency has launched direct emergency hotlines (09137555111 and 09138555111) to allow residents to report crimes and officer misconduct in real-time.
Furthermore, rigorous professional training has been implemented to ensure officers operate with maximum restraint, eliminating the use of excessive force and institutionalising structural accountability.
Highlighting the irreplaceable role of community-generated data in securing Lagos, Akerele urged the press and the public to keep the information flowing.
“That is the reason I said, ‘Let’s come together.’ You are our eyes. We cannot always be everywhere, but you come from different locations, communities, and areas,” Akerele told the press. “Wherever you go, people approach you to pass on information. If we stay in touch, you can process that information and turn it into better results for those who need it. I believe such information and partnership will further strengthen our shared vision for Lagos State.”
