73 Robbers, 8 Policemen Killed In Lagos

Kayode Aderanti

Kayode Aderanti, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 2.

Kazeem Ugbodaga

At least 73 armed robbers and eight policemen were killed in Lagos during exchange of gun fire between the police and robbers in the las one year.

This was disclosed by the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti on Thursday at the 8th Town Hall Meeting on Security held at the City Hall, Lagos Island, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.

According to Aderanti, the armed robbers were killed during gun battles with policemen in Lagos in the last one year, specifically between November 2013 and October 2014.

He also disclosed that the police arrested 423 armed robbers and foiled 372 armed robbery incidents during the same period.

Aderanti further disclosed that the police were able to recover 255 arms and 4,043 ammunition and also recovered 560 stolen vehicles in the last one year.

Kayode Aderanti, Lagos State, Commissioner of Police
Kayode Aderanti, Lagos State, Commissioner of Police

The Lagos police boss further disclosed that 833 vehicles were stolen in Lagos in the last 12 months, with the breakdown revealing that 358 vehicles were snatched by robbers at gun point, 468 others stolen from where they were parked and seven others driven away.

The commissioner revealed that there were 68 armed robbery incidents in Lagos in the last 12 months while 280 people were murdered in Lagos in the same period.

He attributed the high cases of murder in the state to activities of street gangsterism and rivalry, motor transport unionism, thuggery, youthful exuberance, unemployment and politics.

Speaking at the event organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, STF, Governor Babatunde said the logic behind the fund was to use “our resources to protect ourselves and others instead of using it to protect ourselves alone.

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“And that is where the real battle against crime begins, at the organic cutting edges of the agencies in the divisions and area commands within the states, with effective visible patrol presence and early intervention on a daily basis.”

Fashola appealed to corporate bodies and individuals to continue to support the STF, saying that any setback allowed would have untold consequences.

“The work has not yet finished. There is more to be done. We have started some. We intend to provide modern patrol vehicles to every Police Division in Lagos and every Area Command.

“We intend to undertake prison service reforms by building a 21st century prison and we have completed the design.

“We are also developing the investigative capacity of law enforcement through training and support with the aim of providing them with forensic capabilities,” he said.

Executive Secretary, STF, Fola Arthur-Worrey, lamented that more donations were received by the STF last year than this year, noting that the fund was still able to contribute significantly to the security machinery.

“Our total cash inflow was N249 million while donations in kind were to the value of N52.9 million. This marks a major reduction of 30 percent over 2013 receipts, and meant that we had to virtually diminish our reserves to meet some of the critical requests.

“Thus, while cash intake was as stated, expenditure was actually N333.577 million, a 22 percent increase over 2013. This just reflects the changing landscape that we are confronting now,” he stated.

He disclosed that only N33 million was now left in the account of the STF, which was already committed to requests and grossly insufficient to meet the challenges that the near future portends.

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