The gubernatorial candidate of Labour party Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivours has condemned the increasing rate of robbery attacks across the metropolis.
In a statement made available to journalists GRV as he is fondly addressed noted the failure of the current administration in Lagos through its empowerment of thuggery for it political gains.
He identified and addressed the frequent robberies on Carter Bridge, Eko Bridge, Apongbo, and several other areas in Lagos state as rather unfortunate and highly condemnable. No serious government will surrender Nigeria’s commercial capital to criminals who inflict traumatizing experiences on hardworking Lagosians.
“Sadly, these criminals have been emboldened by the ruling party that has consistently rewarded thuggery. We are all witnesses to this brazen display of violence and lawlessness by thugs during elections and more recently during the endsars protests.
This brazen display and tolerance of criminality comes at a great cost to Lagos state, private sector investments and job creation. With improved internal security, Lagos would have no problem running a 24 hour economy which will double its GDP within a decade.
“At the moment, the security agencies are merely reactive and playing catch-up to criminals who appear to be manoeuvring them.
He therefore recommended the urgent four steps in tackling the menace towards securing lives and properties that remains the first responsibility of a government.
1. That members of the Lagos state government neighbourhood watch undergo special training in intelligence gathering and community engagement.
2. That the state government invest heavily in always lighting up the major roads and under bridges.
3. That road constructions causing diversions and unnecessary gridlock be not only fast tracked but should now incorporate a security plan in its execution.
4. That the state and local governments work together to collect credible crime data, monitor trends and collaborate to effectively prevent crime in many well-known hotspots.
With Lagos state daily increasing population, it obviously requited a very robust intelligence gathering and an overhauled security architeture.
