Lagos Can Do More To Fight Crime

Governor Fashola’s threat to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of any property whose owner is a landlord to armed robbers is laudable but we believe the solution goes beyond just that.

The fight against armed robbery should be a collective effort of all citizens, law enforcement officers and government. In other climes government knows exactly who lives where and what job he or she does, which enables them nip crime in the bud or discover who committed what crime. We believe the Lagos State government can create a data base of all residents, what jobs they do, where they live, including details of their spouses and children.

A more pro-active measure, that goes beyond the Police Community Relations Committee, should be put in place and policemen should be re-trained on the rudiments of investigating and preventing crime.

If properties are seized because it was discovered that a criminal lived there, what would be the fate of the landlords of such houses? What if the property is the only source of livelihood of such a landlord? If such a drastic step would be adopted, we believe that Lagos State should commence the fight against armed robbery and criminal elements by putting in place more measures than arming the police with hundreds of millions of naira and reaping greater armed robbery attacks on the citizens.

Lagos State must know how many residents it has, how many houses are in the state and who lives where.

It is time to create a data base of residents and issue them with identity cards, even if they would have to pay a token to obtain such. A data base of houses, vehicles and now residents can be harmonised to form a solid base to make governance easier and crime fighting possible.

Of all the states in the federation, Lagos State has done a lot to fight crime and this is evident in the setting up of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, four years ago. Since then, the state has provided 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC, 50 patrol vehicles, 60 high power motorcycles, six boats and trying to secure approval for five new area commands. The moves are commendable and we agree with Governor Fashola that the issue of security and law are a growing threat across the world. But we must protect ourselves and our own against the growing threat of criminal activities in the state.

The resident should be encouraged to report criminal activity or suspicious movement in their areas. The police too, should react with dispatch to distress calls to encourage residents to be more responsive.

How many landlords know where their tenants work? How many of them actually ask the question and have the time to verify the authenticity of the claim? It is time to make the move. If the Lagos State government can issue tax clearance cards to tax payers in the state, then it can create a database of its residents and issue them with identity cards, even if it is only to fight crime.