The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, has said the Command will adopt community policing in tackling crime in the State.
He, therefore, called on Lagos residents to cooperate with the police by volunteering information about crimes in their surroundings, saying that the personnel are determined to rid the State of criminals.
CP Alabi stated this at the weekend during a reception in his honour by a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Bashorun Tunde Ogunsakin in Lagos.
DIG Ogunsakin mentored and encouraged Alabi to join the Police after he graduated from the university. Their path followed the same trajectory as both went nearly through the same police formations.
Recounting the past, Ogunsakin narrated how he encouraged CP Alabi to join the police force and how both went through the Anti-Riot Mobile Squad of the police otherwise known as Mobile Police, and ‘Kill and Go’ in Nigerian local parlance.
He said: “If you see CP Alabi in mobile uniform, you will respect the police. I am happy he went through the Mobile Force. If you are successful in the Mobile Force, there’s no aspect of Policing that you will not be successful”.
Bashorun Ogunsakin is himself a highly successful police officer, having served in various areas of policing like the Special Anti-Fraud Unit, Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Assistant Inspector General(AIG), Zone 11, and Deputy Inspector General when he commanded the Police Contingent of the Security forces in the fight against Boko Haram in North East Nigeria.
It was therefore with confidence that Ogunsakin declared that Lagos is in safe hands. “Lagos is particularly lucky to have Alabi at this time. I can assure you that Lagos is in safe hands. I just ask Lagosians to assist him by providing support and information to the police,” he said.
Another retired senior police officer, DIG Folusho Adebanjo said he had known Alabi for 30 years. “He is very hardworking, honest and very reliable. I enjoined the people to cooperate with him and the result will be marvelous.
CP Alabi promised to rid the State of criminals and trouble makers. He said he will encourage community policing and call on Lagos residents to help the police by providing information on happenings in their neighborhoods.
Dignitaries present at the reception include former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Babatunde Lemo, Head of Service (HOS) Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Muri Okunola, Commander IRT, Mr Tunji Disu, President and members of Ikere-Ekiti Golden Elites Club, Mr Ademola Oni, and Mr. Tunji Wusu, among others.
– Media Report