LASG Warns Trouble Makers At Motor Parks

Hard times await anyone caught instigating trouble at any motor park in Lagos just as driving without number plates or against traffic would attract severe sanctions in accordance with the laws of the state.

These form part of the resolutions taken by the State Security Council at its meeting at the State House, Marina on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN).

Speaking while addressing newsmen after the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, (Operations), Mr Tunde Sobulo said the position of government is very clear that it is not nominating anybody for any union position.

According to the police boss, “the position of government is very clear. If there is a system of appointing their leaders through election, let them go and do it. Nobody is interested in anything. We don’t have anything to do with it.

“We are warning them to go and warn their foot soldiers. If we see arms with anybody, we will deal decisively with that person because the community has the right to live in peace.”

He added that the unions should not bring their internal politics to cause disturbance for the people of Lagos, recalling that he has had to relocate to Lagos Island since Tuesday.

“It was not an easy thing, young men carrying firearms, automatic weapons shooting all over because of one park or the other. It is not acceptable. We are calling on all parents to warn their children and call them to order,” Sobulo said, adding “We know the organization giving us problems in Lagos is National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) . We know the leaders and we are going to deal with them unless they call themselves to order. We don’t have interest in anybody. What we are looking for in Lagos is peace. They cannot because of their own selfish interest to enrich their pockets, endanger peoples’ lives.

“They have their own children in Ghana, London and America. They will not bring them to come and fight an unnecessary war. The day we get evidence of anybody arrested that any of the leaders are behind it, we are going to deal with the person according to the law.”

The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria has also condemned the violent activities of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos and other parts of the country and said that time has come to put their violent activities in serious check. The party urges the government and security agencies to take immediate steps to bring the transport unions under control else they will overwhelm the society with their nuisance.

In a release in Lagos , signed by the Lagos State chapter of ACN, Joe Igbokwe, the party said that the worrying penchant of NURTW members to resort to brigandage and violence at the slightest instance has become a serious menace as they constitute serious threat to lives and property.

It urges the Lagos State government and indeed other state governments to move in quickly and stem the violent activities of these transport unions.

“When you are taken to court, you will be sentenced possibly to community services like washing BRT buses, working with Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to pass traffic. Don’t think because you have money there will be option of fine, there is no more option of fine,” the police chief said.

He also thanked the members of the public for volunteering information to security agencies and appealed to them to continue to supply information about anything suspicious.

He said last week, the police had information about something that looked like a bomb somewhere along Mile 2 Expressway, adding that those are the kind of information that the security agencies are looking for.

“When you see a group of people or objects that are not very clear to you, call our attention to it. We will respond to it immediately,” he said.

Mr Sobulo also said in terms of robbery incidents in the state, the police are still fighting to make sure that it is reduced to minimal level, adding that there is no society that is without crimes.

“We want members of the public to continue to give information to security agencies. We will treat all information given to us under confidentiality. If they are not sure, let them go to the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), the Area Commanders and the Service Chiefs. We are all available to attend to them,” he emphasised.

Also present at the briefing were Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Lanre Babalola, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Major Tunde Panox (retd), Director, State Security Service in Lagos, Mr Achu Ben Olayi, Commanding Officer, NNS Beecroft Naval Base Apapa, Commodore Jonathan Ango, Commander 9 Brigade Ikeja, Brigadier Sanusi Nasiru Muazu and Commander 435 BSG Ikeja, Air Commodore Tony Omenyi.