Lagos Island: shoot-at-sight order brings peace.
Posted by admin | 10 years ago | 1,212 times
Over three months after a shoot-at-sight order was given by the Police on Lagos Island, residents of the area have commended the initiative, saying it has greatly reduced crime-related incidences and violence in the area.
A resident Alhaji Mufutau Akanni, alias Baba Oja, described the order on the island as one of the best decisions taken by the Police in the area in recent times.
He said he said he has never seen the island the way he was seeing in the past few days. Mufutau Akanni went on to disclose to newsmen on Thursday while commending the Area commander of Lion building, Lagos Island, ACP Imohimi Edgal that ordered the Shoot-at-sight for his efficient leadership which according to him, has brought back the peace that has eluded the Island in recent times.
He disclosed that he was one of the leaders that protested against the order when it was first issued saying that his fear then was that their sons could be killed by trigger -happy policemen.
He stated that surprisingly to him, no one had been killed through accidental discharge, and that everywhere became peaceful because the area boys terrorising the residents have stayed away from the area.
He enjoined the police to extend the shoot-at-sight order to other areas in Lagos which were prone to violence like Mushin, Shomolu and Ebute- Metta areas.
A trader in the area Fausat Grillo, also urged residents to be more vigilant especially as elections were fast approaching even as the violence has reduced, and the area has peaceful to some degrees. “My area in Patey, Epetedo used to be a hotbed for criminal activities but all that has drastically reduced” he said.
He also explained that the coming elections in the country would determine how far the shoot-at-sight order has worked because, according to him, it was always during that period that area boys move about with dangerous weapons.
It will however be recalled that the Shoot-at-Sight order was given by the Police on Lagos Island by the Area commander of Lion building, Lagos Island, ACP Imohimi Edgal and was directed at people found to be carrying guns and other dangerous weapons capable of inflicting injuries on members of the public.
The decision was reached after an emergency security council meeting summoned by the Chairman of Lagos Island East Council Development Area, Kamal Salau- Bashua on how to curtail violence on the Island.
Source: Eberechi Obinagwam
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