Random Checks To Be Stepped Up By Security Agencies says Police

The Lagos State Security Council met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) with the State Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Tunde Sobulo announcing that the state will witness more of stop and search and random checking by security agencies.
Mr Sobulo who spoke in an interview after the meeting with State House Correspondents at the Lagos House, Marina said a lot of patrol vehicles would also be deployed to step up the patrols.
ìWe want to remind all Lagos residents that there is a big difference between road blocks and stop and search by security men. We are not going back to road blocks but there will be random checking, stop and search, patrolling of residential areas where you will hear our sirens and revolving lights,î he added.
The Police Commissioner also announced that security agencies would engage in continuous raiding of the abandoned properties in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and other areas including the Lagos Mainland.
Also speaking on the issue of men in uniform illegally escorting vehicles to evade security checks, the Brigade Commander of the Nigeria Army Cantonment, Ikeja, Brigadier General Pat Aken said service personnel must not be found escorting or involved in any escort of any type of any vehicle.
He explained that given the security situation in the country, the State Security Council has decided that soldiers, ratings and airmen should be mindful of just jumping into vehicles because they could be used to escort things they do not know about.
He added that servicemen caught escorting such vehicles will be handed over to the appropriate authorities and punished.
ìFrom now on, we expect that soldiers if they want to enter normal commercial buses, they should enter them but they must not take ride in just any vehicles because they may be unwittingly escorting contraband things or items that could be used to survey the prevailing security environment,î Brigadier Aken stated.
Also present during the briefing were State Director of the State Security Service, Mr Achu Olayi, Navy Commodore Mio Njoku, Air Commodore Tony Omenyi and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Major Tunde Panox (retd).