Boko Haram: Lagos To Police Grassroots With Neighbourhood Watchers, CDAs

The Lagos State Government is not taking lightly the threat posed by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, and has, therefore, decided to use the Neighbourhood Watchers, NWs and Community Development Associations, CDAs, to police the grassroots areas.

Hundreds of NWs and CDAs and local security officers in all the local governments of Lagos recently met with the state government officials to brainstorm on how to police the grassroots in order to check the activities of criminals.

The Commissioner for Rural Development, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, chaired the meeting, which had in attendance, the Commander of the state Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Hakeem Odumosu and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Major Gen. Tunde Panox(retd).

Ojelabi said the meeting, which would be held monthly, was inspired by the need to carry the communities along, knowing full well that the residents were better placed to notice strange persons and movements within their communities and report such to security agencies.

According to him, the business of policing the environment had gone beyond security agencies, as people must be ready to take cognizance of events happening around them and volunteer information where necessary.

“We are no longer safe in the church or mosque and so many places. It is, therefore, important for us to come together and discuss for us to remain vigilant. You need to start identifying new faces which you have not been seeing before but are now present in your community, ask questions from them, find out where they live and when you suspect foul play, give the information to security agencies,” he said.

Ojelabi said Lagos was fortunate to remain peaceful despite the increasing wave of bomb attacks in Northern Nigeria, adding that all hands must be on deck to police the state.

“After the Kano incidence, we have seen that bombs are not limited to big objects, even can drinks are now used as weapons of destruction. We’re seriously concerned because insecurity will hamper development,” he said.

He charged the NWs to partner with the CDAs in their domains, warning that the state government would sanction erring officers.

Addressing the NWs and CDC members, the Commander, RRS, Odumosu enjoined them to be disciplined and be ready to sacrifice by planning their programmes in such a way that they could be available 24 hours to give information to the police to help to combat crime in their areas.

He urged CDA/CDC members to tell landlords in their areas to always let security men manning their gates to allow security operatives access to the areas when there is crime.