Posted by By Chioma Okezie-Okeh on
It seems Lagos is going through its worst times in the hands of robbers in the past two months have held the city at the throat.
It seems Lagos is going through its worst times in the hands of robbers in the past two months have held the city at the throat. Many Lagosians are already losing hope in the police to do something about the bad situation. The worse dimension of the siege is the relentless killing of policemen in the various parts of the city who are supposed to protect other citizens from robbers.
As a result of the seeming inactivity of the police, Saturday Sun had a chat with the Commissioner of Police Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to get what the police in the state is doing about the bad sitution. But he does not see it as badm rather insists he is winning the battle against the hoodlums no matter the bad sings all over the place.
I'm winning the war
As far as we are concerned, the police is going to win the war, and any country or police - even those of the advanced worlds with its sophistication can be taken unawares. If the World Trade Center can be taken unawares without any intelligence to nip it before occurrence, that means anything can happen anywhere. Let me throw this question to you. Compare the equipment we work work with and those the police abroad use.
Take a look at the dilapidated vehicles and limited arms and ammunition which at times is not as sophisticated as the arms the robbers are found with. But that notwithstanding we will definitely win the war. We make overwhelming arrests everyday. If robbers kill one policeman and we kill 20 robbers, we are definitely wining the war. If from Monday to Thursday, I will parade 1755 miscreants and arrested 26 armed robbers and killed eight of them, recovered over 30 rifles, we are definitely wining the war. All we need is the cooperation and understanding of Nigerians to understand what we want to do.
Inform only police chiefs
I want to use the media now to inform and warn members of public to desist from giving information to a constable in the street rather. It is safer and more profitable to divulge such information to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) or any other very senior officer who has more responsibility to the people and knows the importance of having an office to protect", he advised.
The Lagos Police chief also reiterated his desire to return sanity to Lagos by ensuring that miscreants in the society are sent to their rightful place. "We hope with the cooperation of members of the public that this battle against robbers would be won. And I want furthert address the rumour that the police is arresting indecently dressed women. What we are doing is raiding such places where criminals hide and the brothels where prostitutes do their business is one of such prime places.
More penalties for crime
The criminal justice is good. It all depends on implementation. Probably what we need is deeper penalties for criminals. Let us leave robbers, and talk about the miscreants. When you arrest them you find out that they don't have any means of livelihood, and such must be potential armed robbers. On taking such suspect to court he gets three months imprisonment. The judge too is constrained for the fact that he must abide by what the law says.
So we need deeper penalties as punishment for such offender, so that you can keep them away for a long time. Another question to be asked is whether the prisons is a reformatory home. Why should someone come back from the prison and still go back to the street doing the same thing for which he was arrested. Are they reformatory homes, if they are to be rehabilitated what should we do about the rehabilitation, so that when an offender comes back from the prisons, he won't go back to crime.
Learn to talk to your DPO
We are in a dynamic world and society. If you are leaving in a community go to the police station nearest to you. There is what we call a divisional police officer or a divisional crime officer. These are officers with high responsibility. You can go to them and pass your information when there is the need for that. He has a sign on his chest bearing his name, you will take his name and if any information you give him falls to any criminal I can hold him responsible for it.
There are rules and procedure that he can be punished for what he has done.
Communities can equally buy vehicles and donate to police stations close to them. Buy a car for patrol within your environment so that it can be used for your own environment. You can buy walkie-talkie for officers. This is what is done abroad.
We should know that it is the duty of every member of the society to expose criminals. Some persons do not know people leaving five houses by their right and left. We Africans love ourselves and know what each other does but we have adopted the European culture which does not fit here. You enter your house and lock up. But the person leaving next to you could be an armed robber and you do not know. In your own environment people are breeding criminals and you decide to turn a blind to it. During our time it was not so.
A young girl would come in with a handset and nobody cares to ask her how she got the money. A boy would come with a car into his house and no one cares to know how he got it. They would say that he is very hard working youngman. Even if he is hardworking you should try and find out how he goes.
Nobody is after your dressing
Let me say categorically, nobody is after the dressing of any lady in the street. But that apart, is it right for a lady to stand at odd hours in an area that is not her house or where she works. These ladies the police arrest aid and collude with criminals. Another poser I have for the citizen is whether prostitution is an offence in Nigeria or not? Check the law. Why are people making noise because the police wants to work. You can go anywhere, and you have the right do anything you want to do, but the law has the right to ask you questions. If you give satisfactory answers you will be allowed to go. Those that were arrested and paraded have been taken to court and the court has taken necessary actions. Would you also say that the court is also wrong.
The public has only been misinformed by those mischievous people under whatever guise. They do not know what is right for Nigeria. If you go to Britain you can never see women on the street the way we do it here. One reporter from BBC called me and I asked him if prostitution is not an offence in England. And he said yes it is. People have the right to go to anywhere but remember that the police have a right to stop and ask questions that is the same everywhere.