Lagos Assembly quizzes CP over insecurity

It was a session of marathon interrogation for the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, on Monday, when members of the State House of Assembly engaged him for almost one hour on issues ranging from petition on dehumanisation of two women in Ejigbo, protests on raising down of some structures on police land, incessant cult clashes in Mainland and its environs and the activities of land grabbers popularly known as ‘Ajagungbale’ within the state.
Chairman, House Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy affairs, Olanrewaju Oshun (Lagos Mainland II) had in one of the plenary sessions held last year brought to the notice of his colleagues under the matter of urgent public importance, the gruesomely murder of a man believed to be a victim of reprisal attack of some cult groups at Onike area of Yaba. He also said that similar incident happened in Iwaya, Bariga and some other places within the state.
After much deliberation on the incident, the House had resolved to invite the Commissioner of Police to tell the members what he has put in place to arrest the situation.
The Chairman, Committee on House Services and Special Duties, Ipoola Omisore (Ifako-Ijaiye II) said that despite the House passing the law against the movement of unlatched containers within the state, several incidents where unlatched containers fell on people and sent them to their early graves have been recorded, but he added that the police have not caught anybody in connection with such act to serve as deterrent to others.
He also ventured to know what the police have been doing to curb the land grabbers from creating environmental nuisance within the state.
In his question, Chairman, Committee on Energy, Mineral Resources, Waterfronts and Infrastructure Development, Lanre Ogunyemi (Ojo II) asked for what police have been doing to put a halt to the proliferation of small arms in the state, which according to him has aided high rate of crime in recent time.
Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru (Shomolu II) said he would be appreciative if the police could increase surveillance in Bariga and its environs, adding that the area was known to be peaceful in the past but has recently turned to something else.
“The aftermath of Bariga incident has been traumatic to my people. I will appreciate it if the CP can increase surveillance in the area because Bariga was known to be peaceful unlike some areas of the state, but now, things have changed and we cannot fold our arms and watch innocent people being killed on a daily basis,” Abiru pleaded.
In her contribution, Adebimpe Akinsola (Ikorodu II) urged the CP to find a lasting solution to issue of land grabbers which she said has been on the increase in Ikorodu.
After listening with rapt attention to posers raised by the lawmakers, Manko told the House that efforts of the police in uprooting crimes in the state were being jeopardised as most criminals who had been arrested, prosecuted and convicted under the law were also seen in the society while serving their jail terms.
The police boss said without mincing words that “I can tell you that cultists are now found in garages and parks and some of them are known to members of the society.”
He noted that the police in the state are being proactive in making sure that crimes are reduced to the barest minimum, adding that despite that crime has been a component of every society, the case in Lagos has been different as police were not only fighting crimes, but solving crimes.
His words: “I can tell you that the man that was alleged to have been killed in Bariga, that young man has been charged to court and sent to prisons for more than five times. My duty as a policeman is to arrest and prosecute, having done that and yet criminals get back to the system. I don’t know how.”
He, however, stated that he has begun the compilation of such criminals so that it would be made available to the public, adding that “people would see how frustrating it is to arrest criminals and come back to the system.”
While commenting on the issue of Badagry residents who staged a protest march to the Assembly last week over the demolition of their houses, Manko explained that the land in question belongs to the police.
The commissioner said that the police paid N176 million to acquire the land in question few years back with C of O and that the occupants were given notice as far back as 2011.
He added that he would plead with the authorities to compensate the people affected by the acquisition due to the intervention of the State Assembly.
On the relationship with border towns, he said that the state command has a good relationship with the Ogun State Police Command with which the state shares many borders as they belong to the same zone and agree on common issues.
He also denied the allegation that his men extort money from okada (motorcycle) riders who operate in legitimate areas in the state, adding that motorcycles seized from those that contravened traffic laws were usually handed over to the state task force on environmental laws.
Manko finally added that he did not understand why some heavy duty vehicles operate in the daytime, when the law expects them to operate at night.
Meanwhile, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji has expressed sadness over the current crisis in Rivers State.
He stated that democracy should be allowed to work in the country, while taking a swipe at anti-democratic elements in the nation.
In his welcome address at the Progressive Speakers’ Conference, which was held in Lagos, on Tuesday, Ikuforiji said that the on-going conundrum in Rivers State was anti-democratic.
He commended his colleagues for the constructive work, which he said was going on in their various parliaments; while appreciating their effort for attending the conference.
“Dear Colleagues, we are gathered here today as legislative leaders with visionary projections, we are all aware that the signs emerging from the polity today are very disappointing.
“As Progressives, we are committed to rendering positive contributions and playing a positive role towards the advancement of peace, order and good governance of our nation,” he said.
He stated that the conference was timely because the progressives have an urgent task ahead, adding that, “even if ours is a lone voice in the wilderness, we must retrieve our democracy from the pugnacious hijackers at the centre, the promoters of the culture of impunity and those who do not respect the rule of law but are bent on scuttling our democratic growth.”
“We were all appalled by the recent arrest of the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly and 10 other Principal Officers of the House. This brazen act constitutes a fundamental violation of our Constitution, it is also a violation of Parliamentary privilege which as you all know are legislative rights, arising from the mandate of the people to their elected representatives to discharge their legislative functions,” he said.
He said further that he was curious that the Kano State Assembly’s invasion was consequent upon a phantom petition, which was written shortly after the Kano State governor and the speaker defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, “I have asked myself over and over: “What manner of democracy is the Peoples Democratic Party imposing on us. The ruling party is peopled by democratic pretenders (PDP); who have done nothing but unpowered the people, but repression and intimidation can never advance peace or security in any country.
“It is, therefore, time for us to forge a strategic partnership in order to deal with our mutual democratic challenges. The significance of this particular agenda is that the progressive leadership of the state Houses of Assembly will lead it.”
In a chat with newsmen after the event, the Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Gambo Salau, said that the progressives decided to come together to save the future of the country.

He added that it was not possible for those who crossed from the PDP to go back to the party, but that everyone has his own opinion on the matter.
Salau added that the Speakers of the different state Houses of Assemblies supported financial autonomy for the legislature.
The Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Nojeem Salami said that the legislators are the representatives of the people and that whatever they do is done on behalf of the people.
He added that it is through their voice that the interest of the people could be protected.
Salami lamented that the people expect the lawmakers to come to their aid due to the level of poverty in the country.
“It is the order of the day everywhere, people expect legislators to come to their aid,” he said.
Other Speakers at the 3-day event were those of Edo, Ekiti, Kwara, Sokoto and Ogun states.