Dr Obafemi Hamzat
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, today 24th November 2022, says the government is decisively tackling escalating crime rate in the state.
Hamzat, who spoke at the 31st Edition of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) Annual Lecture and Awards, 2022, held at Ikeja, Lagos State, said that statistics as of March 2022, revealed that public concern about crime stood at 66.04 per cent, adding the government had been addressing them.
His words: “As Nigerians prepare for political activities to kick start campaigns for various electoral offices in the 2023 General Elections that are being contested by multiple political parties there is a tendency for pocket of violence and intolerance to erupt. However, as stakeholders in Nigeria’s political growth and economic prosperity, we must collectively ensure that unscrupulous elements do not hijack the process. Statistics as of March 2022 reveal that public concern about crime stood at 66.04 Percent.”
Revealing measures taken by the government to check escalating crimes, Hamzat, who was represented by a Director in the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Lagos State, Mr. Kayode Oyekanmi, added: “The general concern revolves around mugging, carjacking, one-chance and more recently abductions or kidnapping for ransom. I am happy to note that our security architecture is structured to provide adequate and dynamic responses to all security threats, particularly in Lagos.”
Hamzat in a speech delivered by Oyekanmi stated that the provision of security was a function of the government that was fundamentally guaranteed by the Constitution, adding, “It also provides for citizens, individuals or corporate, to support security agencies with relevant and timely information to curb illegal or criminal activities from disrupting public serenity that could mar socioeconomic activities for the benefit of the general populace.”
Hamzat while applauding CRAN for the theme of the day, Insecurity: Tackling The Dark Cloud Over Nigeria’s Prosperity Ahead Of The 2023 General Elections, said that progress and growth can only be guaranteed in a society governed by the rule of law. In this society, the fundamental rights of individuals to hold an opinion and associate with people of shared values are not frowned upon.
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