The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday restated the need for State Police to supplement the inadequacy of the Nigeria Police.
"For me, the question of a State Police is no longer if, it is when," he said. "Should a State that has its own House of Assembly, university, and hospitals not have its own police? What are we afraid of?"
Mr. Fashola said this on Thursday at the third town hall meeting on security, which is annually held by the Lagos state security trust fund, a public private partnership for improvement of policing in Lagos State.
He made the statement against the background that about 33,000 police officers in the Lagos command of the Nigeria Police cannot effectively police about 18 million people.
The focus of the meeting, which was titled "sustaining and growing the security model," was to present an overview of the status of security in the state and launch the trust fund website with an e-donation capability which gives everyone the chance to donate any amount through the online/ATM portal.
He said the State has procured two helicopters, which are customised for emergency evacuation, aerial security survey, and quick response, from Bell Corporation.
"No country has ever been able to get away with reducing spending on law enforcement and security. I call on those who have contributed before to do so again in our collective interest. I particularly call on those yet to contribute, both corporate and private entities whose improved security could be said to have been subsidised by those who have donated, to do so now...in particular to the tank farm owners, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Ports Authority, and other agencies engaged in economic activity around Apapa and Atlas Cove area," Said Mr. Fashola .
About the fund
The law that established the Lagos State security trust fund was the first to be passed by the Lagos State house of assembly in September 2007; the agency was inaugurated in November, 2007.
"The objectives of the fund were to raise money through voluntary donations from government agencies, private organisations and individuals. The money thus raised is to be used for the acquisition and deployment of security equipment as shall be found necessary for the effective functioning of all federal, State, and local government and other security agencies operating in Lagos State," said Fola Arthur-Worrey, the Executive Secretary of the fund, while delivering the report of the board of trustees.
He disclosed that about N4.7b has been received in cash and kind, since inception till date
"Because of the cost and unending demands of maintaining law and order, the challenge of the Fund is sustainability. As at Sept. 1, the Fund has a balance of N175.9m," he said.
Security account
Marvel Akpoyibo, the commissioner of police, told the gathering, using charts and figures, that the command is winning the fight against crime in the State. This he attributed to the intervention of the Fund. He said some neighbouring states are now complaining of influx of criminals allegedly from Lagos State "because Lagos is now too hot for them."
The commissioner said the state reported a total of 6 kidnap cases in 2008 while 15 have been recorded so far in 2009.
Mr. Akpoyibo added that all of those kidnap cases were solved by the police without any ransom paid.
According to the members of the security trust fund, it has provided the Lagos State police command with: 10 armoured personnel carriers (10 more has been ordered), 300 patrol vans with communication gadgets, one million rounds of live AK47 ammunition, five patrol boats (for the rejuvenated marine police section), 10 BMW power bikes, payment of allowance for members of the RRS, and fuelling of the patrol vans.
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