Kunle Adelabu
Stakeholders have proffered numerous solutions and suggestions on how to combat insecurity that has been threatening the social and economic lives of residents of Ikorodu division, particularly as it regards the issues of cultism and robbery activities.
At the town hall meeting, tagged, ‘2021 Ikorodu Security Meeting’, organised to brainstorm on how to address this menace, were stakeholders in the Ikorodu division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu.
His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, who initiated the meeting, led other royal fathers, which included the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Kasali, the Sekumade of Ipakodo, Oba Bashir Sotonwa, the Olubeshe of Ibeshe, Oba Richard Ogunsanya, the Obateru of Egbin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Akeem Oyebo, the Alayandelu of Odo – Ayandelu, Oba Asunmo Ganiyu Aderibigbe Balogun, Jamade 1 and the Eweye of Isiwu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Olukayode David Raji, to the meeting.
Also in attendance were the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, Member of the Lagos Assembly representing the Ikorodu Constituency II, Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, the Vice Chairman, APC Lagos East, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, the Agbaakin of Ikorodu Kingdom, Sir (Otunba) Ayodele Elesho.
The six Council Chairmen in Ikorodu Division – Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Jumoke Jimbo – Ademehin, Ikorodu West LCDA, Hon. Adeola Banjo, Ikorodu North LCDA, Hon. Sesan Daini, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Hon. Fathiu Salisu, Ijede LCDA and Hon. Wasiu Agoro, Imota LCDA, were equally in attendance.
Meanwhile, CP Odumosu, while acknowledging the role of Ayangbure of Ikorodu in making the meeting come to a reality, stated that police have the responsibility to protect and safeguard citizenry.
He added that the purpose of the meeting was to seek ways by which his men could be of help in addressing the insecurity in Ikorodu Division.
“Our mission is to serve you and without you, we cannot do anything because whoever wears the shoes knows where it pinches most”, CP Odumosu said.
“I want to thank Kabiyesi (Oba Shotobi) who started the process that we are witnessing today. He called me that he was coming to see me and surprisingly, he came with all the traditional rulers in ikorodu Division about a month ago.
“We are here today to meet with you (stakeholders in Ikorodu) one-on-one. The basic reason is that, I want to know where we are failing and where you want us to come in to assist you because the uniform that we are wearing is your property and there are responsibilities attached to that uniform”, he said.
The Police Chief said that the Lagos Police Command has examined the security situation in Ikorodu and come up with a way out.
He charged the Local Government Chairmen and traditional leaders in the division to take the lead in combating crime.
While commending local vigilance groups for assisting in policing the community, CP Odumosu also charged them not to compromise.
“In general terms, coupled with the command’s commitment to provide adequate security for all and sundry in the state, the police command has critically considered the following possibilities in tackling the security challenges in Ikorodu Division of the state:
“The Local Government Councils in Ikorodu must occupy the front line in combating crimes in the area. There constitutional responsibilities cannot be jettisoned in the fight against cultism and crimes in general.
“The traditional institutions in the division must be up and doing in condemning the activities of the bad boys (cultists), instead of supporting and celebrating them and their criminal acts.
“Local security operatives must be above board and suspicion since they have been saddled with the responsibility of complementing the police in combating cultism and other violent crimes in the area. They must not compromise in any way”, Odumosu warned.
He also pointed out that residents too must be vigilant and conscious of happenings around them, especially landlords whom he charged to do background checks before welcoming any new tenants into their houses.
“ The members of the public, especially landlords, must key into this fight against insecurity in Ikorodu by screening those to be accommodated or harboured in their houses.
Police Chief also charged traditionalists and religious leaders to use their platforms in assisting the police in combating crimes.
“The traditionalists and traditional worshippers in this area must stop promoting and protecting the criminals in Ikorodu axis and Lagos State in general. The ideas of fortifying the bad boys and providing native charms for them are counterproductive to our security architecture in this area. Their powers must be used to assist us, not to jeopardise our efforts.
“The religious bodies must use all there platforms, links and ideological perspectives to promote peace and security in the state and Nigeria at large. The idea of preaching prosperity at the detriment of salvation is counterproductive to security of lives and properties in our contemporary society.
While commending media in Ikorodu as effective, CP Odumosu also enjoined practitioners to be mindful of their reportage and assist the police and the community in reporting and campaigning against crimes.
“The media are not left out in the multi-track diplomacy of solidifying security of the nation, and Lagos in particular. Their reportage must be in consonance with the security plans of the police and other security agencies as any fake, unfounded and misleading stories can jeopardise security arrangements in the state.
“We urge you to support us in the campaign and fight against crimes and criminality in the state; and embrace the paradigm shift towards modern and people-oriented policing, as championed by the Inspector-General of Police”, Odumosu charged.
Otunba Ganiyu Abiru, the Chairman of the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS), presenting way out of the insecurity on behalf of clubs and associations in Ikorodu, charged government, especially the local government administrations in Ikorodu Division, to discharge their duties and responsibilities in protecting lives and properties of residents.
“Government should provide a conducive environment that would enhance job creation.
“Government should honour its earlier promise about two or three years ago that it will provide jobs for the born – again cultists, which till date has not yet being fulfilled”, he said while reminding the state government of its promise to the born-again cultists.
He called for adequate funding of the police for them to discharge their duties, while also charging police and local vigilance groups to work together in checkmating cult activities and combating crimes.
“The Nigerian police should be assisted infrastructurally and with working gadgets to enable it to discharge its job effectively .
“We are all aware that most police always tell us that there is no vehicle or fuel when called to respond to a distress situation”, Abiru emphasized.
“The local vigilance group and the police should work hands – in – gloves to ensure that lkorodu becomes, once again, a safe haven to transact commercial and social activities.
“Chairmen of local governments should be enjoined to financially mobilize vigilance groups in their respective domains to effectively discharge their functions.
Buttressing the impact of illegal drugs on the cultists and others engaging in criminal activities, Abiru passed a vote of no confidence on the Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allowing joints selling drugs operate unhindered.
“The NDLEA, as far as I am concerned, is just in lkorodu for decoration. The body must be alive to its responsibilities by ensuring that all joints where hard drugs are sold are raided regularly. Without the availability of drugs, the false confidence enjoy by these cultists will vaporized”, he said.
He also called for the establishment of an Ikorodu Security Endowment Fund to cater and support the operations of the police and vigilance groups.
“The government cannot do it alone, hence, there is a need to institutionalize an endowment fund or security trust fund to cater for the needs of not only the police but also vigilance groups.
The IKODASS Chairman also called for the strengthening of youth empowerment and vocational centres to cater for youths that do not have access to schools, to acquire skills.
Otunba Abiru further said that there is need to make the educational system attractive and enticing to pupils and students by providing enabling environment and infrastructures to aid studies, while advocating for more school buildings and teachers to prevent overcrowding and effective learning.
“Parents must be encouraged to live up to their responsibilities and anyone found to be shielding bad eggs must be sanctioned by the community and also be prosecuted by the government for aiding and abetting crimes”, he said.
Otunba Abiru also called for the total dismantling of Ajagungbale structure in Ikorodu, charging the police that their assistance is greatly needed in achieving this.
He also charged police officers to be truthful, honest, patriotic and show great sense of commitment in the discharge of their duties to the community and its people.
“The police authority should take a census of police stations and police posts and establish new ones where they are exceedingly necessary.
“I am made to understand that there is no police station in Ikorodu North LCDA but a police post and considering the population of that place, there is a need for a good police station there”, he said.
“There must be a meeting of all the Kabiyesis in the division with all the elected politicians with a view to soliciting for their cooperation on the deplorable architecture of the division.
“All Baales must discharge their duties in their various domains and any Baale found wanting should either be derobed or sanctioned. They must take charge of their domains. Anyone whose domain is used in perpetrating crimes should be sanctioned and the local government should empower them to work if we want them to perform.
“The Chairmen are the Chief Security Officer in their respective domains and they must know that our lives are in their hands and they shall be judged based on what they use their offices to do.”, he said.
The traditional rulers in Ikorodu Division, speaking through His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of lgbogbo, called on the Lagos State Government and Nigerian Police Authority to grant the division a special security attention in dealing with the enormous insecurity facing its residents.
Oba Kasali also charged the Lagos Commissioner of Police (CP) to put in motion actions that will effectively tackle cultism, land grabbing and other insecurity challenges as a way of reassuring the teeming residents of the division of the security of their lives and properties.
“We are also using this opportunity to let you know that Ikorodu Division needs special attention from the security trust fund because this place is growing faster. We are demanding special status in Lagos State”, Oba Kaasali said on behalf of other Obas at the security meeting.
“Our people have been facing severe security challenges and I want to emphasise that they are in dire need of reassurance from your good office and your men. We want you to speak on behalf of the Inspector General of Police and assure us, the people of Ikorodu division that value and cherish lives, that we will have a secure and safe environment henceforth.
“Our challenges in Ikorodu are very well known and we thank God that ‘Badoo’ challenge is now a thing of the past.
“We are now battling those that called themselves cultists, but to me, they are gangsters calling themselves Aye, Eiye and others. There are also landgrabbers and I know that some of them are in our midst today.
“Some of those that are here are the ones encouraging landgrabbers. Criminality is criminality and it doesn’t matter if you know or not.
“Landgrabbing and cultism are connected because those cultists are the ones being used by the Ajagungbales”, he said.
While also emphasizing the commitment of the councils in stemming insecurity, Hon. Adeshina stated that they have been reacting in more practical ways in handling the situation.
“Today, there is need for a more dynamic approach in finding solutions to these problems and I, therefore, urge all of us, as Ikorodu is our own, to be more security conscious, encourage peace and create a relationship that is more brotherly than inciting ourselves to wreak more havoc”, the Ikorodu Council Chairman said.
“I want to assure the good people of Ikorodu Division that the six Chairmen are ready to stop the insecurity situation in the division. We have embarked on different action plans and supportive measures. For example, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA has inaugurated its own local joint patrol to checkmate insecurity”, he disclosed.
“Ikorodu Local Government has also concluded plans to purchase three patrol vehicles to support the police and the local security outfit (Onyabo) and inaugurate our own joint task force, ditto other LCDAs.
He also charged the Lagos Police Commissioner, CP Odumosu, to give adequate support in tackling the security situation in the division while also stating that the division will not relent in confronting the security challenges.
“Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, I think we are not asking for much by asking for the State Police Command support in Ikorodu to combat insecurity”, Adeshina charged.
“I want to reiterate here that, as we are all security administrators, our responsibilities demand that we give necessary support to our communities with the required maturity, patriotism and a new sense of responsibility with the aim of enhancing the security situation across Ikorodu division.
“Ikorodu Local Government and its environs will not rest on their oars in waging an unending war against these unrest, clashes among group cultists and other social ills in all communities of Ikorodu through the law enforcement agents and other security authorities that are available".
The prestigious Oriwu Club, through Chief Niyi Banjoko, the Gbobaniyi of Ikorodu Kingdom, and the Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Lagos State Chapter, alongside the six Coordinators of the NYCN in Ikorodu Division, also presented documents containing their respective resolutions to the insecurity challenges.
