EndSARS: Sanwo-Olu Pays N60M Compensation To Families Of Slain Police Officers

…Earmarks N37.8 Bn to public order and safety in 2021
…Kidnapping cases reduce in Lagos, CP

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has compensated the
families of six police officers lynched in Lagos State in the wake
of the violence that trailed the recent nationwide EndSARS protests
with N10 million each, totaling N60 million.

The compensation was in fulfillment of the state government’s
pledge made during an earlier meeting with police officers at the
state police command.

As part of the promise to the families, Sanwo-Olu also announced
scholarship awards to the children of the deceased officers up to
the university level.

Sanwo-Olu presented cheques to the wives and children of the
slain officers at the 14th Town Hall meeting on security, held at
Civic Centre, Victoria Island on Thursday.

The yearly event with the theme: “Lagos Security: Resilience in
the Face Adversity”, was organised by the Lagos State Security
Trust Fund, LSSTF.

The late police officers are: Yaro Edward, an Assistant
Superintendent of Police (ASP), Inspector Ayodeji Erinfolami,
Inspector Aderibigbe Adegbenro, Inspector Samsom Ehibor, Sergeant
Bejide Abiodun and Inspector Igoche Cornelius.

Sanwo-Olu described the slain officers as “heroes”, saying the
deceased sacrificed their lives to secure lives and properties in
the State.

He said the compensation was the state government’s modest
reward for their gallantry, stressing that the gesture would help
the families to heal from the loss.

According to the governor, “Some of our gallant police officers
paid the supreme price for our security and safety during the
recent EndSARS protests. These are the officers deployed to protect
our families from hoodlums but they were lynched in the violence.
Today, I am happy to announce and present N10 million compensation
through LSSTF to each family of the officers. All their children
have also be placed on scholarship up to university level, courtesy
of the State Government.”

Sanwo-Olu, at the event also received the report of security
activities across the state in the last 12 months from Commissioner
of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, expressing his delight at the
downward trend observed in sophisticated crimes, such as kidnapping
and armed robbery, in the last one year.

As Lagos embarks on rebuild effort, Sanwo-Olu reiterated that
security would remain a top priority for his Government. He noted
that Lagos was on the verge of bridging technological and
logistical gap in its security architecture before the violence
that trailed EndSARS protest erupted.

The coordinated arson of the past weeks, the governor said, had
necessitated the need to tighten security across the state, giving
assurance that his administration would invest more in
intelligence-led policing and improve operational capacity and
welfare of personnel serving in Lagos.

He said: “We must sustain the steady progress Lagos has recorded
in security of lives and businesses. The issue of security is a
shared mission. The more we are able to engage the citizens, the
better we will become at nipping crimes in the bud. Our Government
will continue to proactively engage all stakeholders as part of
ongoing exercise to address all security concerns.

“We have taken proactive measure of making the necessary
budgetary provision for security. We will be committing N37.8
billion to Public Order and Safety in 2021 because we fully
understand the correlation between development and security.

“We will stop at nothing to flush out criminal elements whose
sole aim is to foment chaos and perpetrate crimes. Lagos will offer
no hiding place for bandits and criminals.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the Government would be committing
funds to social protection to address contributing factors to
crimes, including substance abuse, unemployment and poor education.
He said the State remained focused on addressing issues that led to
recent youth agitations, adding that programmes would be rolled out
to cultivate young people’s trust and get them to embrace
participatory governance.

Odumosu, in his extensive report, said his men rose to the
occasion of effectively combating crimes in Lagos because of
constant logistics supplies from the State government.

Giving the breakdown of crimes recorded in Lagos from October
2019 to last September, Odumosu said the Command foiled 273 cases
of armed robbery, arresting 1,181 robbers in operations. He said 27
robbers were killed in the encounter during the period.

The police boss said the state recorded a sharp decline in
kidnapping in the past year, an effort he linked to improved
intelligence-driven operations. He, however, said cases of cultism
and drug abuse were on the rise, promising to beam focus to the
issues.

Executive Secretary, LSSTF, Dr. AbdulRazaq Balogun, observed
that there was a decline in donations to the Funds in the current
year, a factor he linked to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic and establishment of similar trust funds agencies by other
States.

He said LSSTF had provided 90 patrol vehicles and six units of
outboard engine boats for security operations across the State in
addition to logistics support provided for the personnel.

…Earmarks N37.8 Bn to public order and safety in 2021
…Kidnapping cases reduce in Lagos, CP

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has compensated the
families of six police officers lynched in Lagos State in the wake
of the violence that trailed the recent nationwide EndSARS protests
with N10 million each, totaling N60 million.

The compensation was in fulfillment of the state government’s
pledge made during an earlier meeting with police officers at the
state police command.

As part of the promise to the families, Sanwo-Olu also announced
scholarship awards to the children of the deceased officers up to
the university level.

Sanwo-Olu presented cheques to the wives and children of the
slain officers at the 14th Town Hall meeting on security, held at
Civic Centre, Victoria Island on Thursday.

The yearly event with the theme: “Lagos Security: Resilience in
the Face Adversity”, was organised by the Lagos State Security
Trust Fund, LSSTF.

The late police officers are: Yaro Edward, an Assistant
Superintendent of Police (ASP), Inspector Ayodeji Erinfolami,
Inspector Aderibigbe Adegbenro, Inspector Samsom Ehibor, Sergeant
Bejide Abiodun and Inspector Igoche Cornelius.

Sanwo-Olu described the slain officers as “heroes”, saying the
deceased sacrificed their lives to secure lives and properties in
the State.

He said the compensation was the state government’s modest
reward for their gallantry, stressing that the gesture would help
the families to heal from the loss.

According to the governor, “Some of our gallant police officers
paid the supreme price for our security and safety during the
recent EndSARS protests. These are the officers deployed to protect
our families from hoodlums but they were lynched in the violence.
Today, I am happy to announce and present N10 million compensation
through LSSTF to each family of the officers. All their children
have also be placed on scholarship up to university level, courtesy
of the State Government.”

Sanwo-Olu, at the event also received the report of security
activities across the state in the last 12 months from Commissioner
of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, expressing his delight at the
downward trend observed in sophisticated crimes, such as kidnapping
and armed robbery, in the last one year.

As Lagos embarks on rebuild effort, Sanwo-Olu reiterated that
security would remain a top priority for his Government. He noted
that Lagos was on the verge of bridging technological and
logistical gap in its security architecture before the violence
that trailed EndSARS protest erupted.

The coordinated arson of the past weeks, the governor said, had
necessitated the need to tighten security across the state, giving
assurance that his administration would invest more in
intelligence-led policing and improve operational capacity and
welfare of personnel serving in Lagos.

He said: “We must sustain the steady progress Lagos has recorded
in security of lives and businesses. The issue of security is a
shared mission. The more we are able to engage the citizens, the
better we will become at nipping crimes in the bud. Our Government
will continue to proactively engage all stakeholders as part of
ongoing exercise to address all security concerns.

“We have taken proactive measure of making the necessary
budgetary provision for security. We will be committing N37.8
billion to Public Order and Safety in 2021 because we fully
understand the correlation between development and security.

“We will stop at nothing to flush out criminal elements whose
sole aim is to foment chaos and perpetrate crimes. Lagos will offer
no hiding place for bandits and criminals.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the Government would be committing
funds to social protection to address contributing factors to
crimes, including substance abuse, unemployment and poor education.
He said the State remained focused on addressing issues that led to
recent youth agitations, adding that programmes would be rolled out
to cultivate young people’s trust and get them to embrace
participatory governance.

Odumosu, in his extensive report, said his men rose to the
occasion of effectively combating crimes in Lagos because of
constant logistics supplies from the State government.

Giving the breakdown of crimes recorded in Lagos from October
2019 to last September, Odumosu said the Command foiled 273 cases
of armed robbery, arresting 1,181 robbers in operations. He said 27
robbers were killed in the encounter during the period.

The police boss said the state recorded a sharp decline in
kidnapping in the past year, an effort he linked to improved
intelligence-driven operations. He, however, said cases of cultism
and drug abuse were on the rise, promising to beam focus to the
issues.

Executive Secretary, LSSTF, Dr. AbdulRazaq Balogun, observed
that there was a decline in donations to the Funds in the current
year, a factor he linked to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic and establishment of similar trust funds agencies by other
States.

He said LSSTF had provided 90 patrol vehicles and six units of
outboard engine boats for security operations across the State in
addition to logistics support provided for the personnel.