Army Bans Use Of Own Stickers On All Vehicles

As part of measures to check crime in the state, the Commander of the Army Brigade, Ikeja, Lagos, Brigadier-General Nasiru Muazu has banned the use of army sticker of any form in all vehicles in the state while the police, represented by the deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Mr. Tunde Sobulo, assured residents of its readiness to tackle lawless commercial motorcyclists, a.k.a. okada riders who are protesting government clampdown on their operations.

The security chiefs disclosed this yesterday during an emergency security council meeting chaired by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Muazu said the decision to ban the use of army stickers in all vehicles was as a result of the security challenges facing the country and the rising cases of impersonation.

“Anybody caught will face the law, including our personnel and family members. Nobody is allowed to use any form of Army sticker anywhere anymore. I want to appeal to residents of Lagos who still have it on their cars to remove them,” he said.

The army chief also disclosed that a joint operation involving the police and other security agencies last weekend led to the arrest of 20 criminals from their hideouts in Ikorodu. He said the operation is a continuous one that will cover the whole state.

Muazu warned that Lagos would not provide haven for criminals and that the choice such criminals have is either to relocate or abandon criminality as a way of life.  The Brigade Commander urged all law abiding residents to go about their normal businesses. “We are here to provide security cover for everyone. We will provide the necessary security for them especially at this time when Christmas and New Year celebrations are just by the corner,” he stated.

In his own remarks, deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Mr Tunde Sobulo said the police were ready to fight lawless Okada riders in the state.

“All the army commanders are partnering with us on this matter, even our men from the barracks have been lectured on the issue of riding against one way, riding without crash helmets, carrying more than one passenger and riding Okada on the highway. It is forbidden to ride Okada on the expressroads.

“We are going to fight this to a standstill. Some people are saying that they do not have any other job. Even if you do not have any other job and you have been allowed to go and use the Okada for commercial purposes, you must obey the law. That is what we are asking them to do. Stay away from the expressroads.

“You are all aware that 80 percent of robbery in this state is committed by people who use Okadas. We cannot fold our hands. The governor has said it. They are even harming themselves. Go to the hospitals, go to Igbobi and see them. The governor is even more concerned about their safety,” he said.

He disclosed that the police had received more armoured cars to combat criminal activities in the state. He added that the equipment were being located in different areas.

“You can see them now. The notion that we are policing one place and not policing the other is not correct. If you take a good look at your area, you will see more patrol vehicles. We now have convoy patrol vehicles where three to four vehicles move together. In the night, we go to residential areas. If you have been listening, you will hear our sirens and see our lights. Generally, the crime rate has gone down drastically,” he stated.

Sobulo warned Lagosians against hiring new hands at this period to drive them, adding that if they had new vehicles, they should instal trackers in them.

“If people can spend millions of Naira to buy cars, they should be ready to spend a fraction to instal a tracking device in the vehicle.

“It makes our job easier. God forbid, if your car is snatched and within five minutes you inform us, we would be able to get that vehicle for you in 30 minutes, even if it is in the Republic of Benin. We know the particular location and would inform the police in those areas and as the vehicle is moving, we are monitoring,” he said.

— Kazeem Ugbodaga