 RRS Commander,Lagos state
|
The Commander of Rapid Response Squad in Lagos State, DCP Tunji Disu told INTEGRITY REPORTERS how his security outfit with the support from the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Edgar Imohimi, is keeping Lagos safe for people and businesses.
How were you able to bring crime under control in Lagos State?
First and foremost, we have a new Commissioner of Police in Lagos State who came up with the programme of community safety partnership. That simply means cooperating with every member of the community, every strata of the community, all security agencies and everybody interested in the security of the state. In achieving this, we organized a town hall meeting with all the communities making it easier to access to the communities, bringing the communities closer to the police, making them have confidence of walking up to the police giving them information, and telling them where their problems lies and assisting the pAolice to solve their problems. So that is why we have a low crime rate in the state now.
About community policing, how were you able to separate the good from the bad?
Community policing means policing different communities in different places in line with the peculiarity of that communities. For example, the way I would police in Kano would be different from the way I would police in Lagos. Even the way we police in Ibadan would be different from the way you police Lagos because there are people with different culture, backgrounds and religion. The peculiarity of these states are different. The area you talked about, we have people from the northern part of the country. We have to take this into cognizance of areas where there are different people who look at things at different perspectives, so we have to identify who their leaders are, and work directly with their leaders.
How do you manage issues in a place as volatile as Lagos?
We respond immediately we receive a call for response. And we have people who are new and read to move out at any time. So whenever information comes to us, we have people and men standing by to move to those areas. Most importantly, I have made it a priority and a thing of joy to get to the scene of incident to do my job very well and make people happy.
What are you view on regional policing in Nigeria?
I may not be able to comment on that but take it that we are equipped and can discharge our duties very effectively.
Why do you decide to have your men along the Third Mainland Bridge?
Yes. We have a time when there are hold-up on the bridge and sometimes some miscreants take advantage of it to attack people, collect their vehicles, phones and other valuables. So we thought one of the ways to salvage this was to have our men place there visibly. This is one of the interventions that was brought into place by the Commissioner of Police. Nobody should look at it as trying to intimidate them. That is not what we are trying to do. We are trying to put visible security to checkmate the miscreants around the area.
If you meet the CP now, what would you tell him about the security in Lagos state?
We meet almost every day and I brief him on my activities. I have to go and meet him daily for him to give me instructions and for us to discuss new things as it happens. And at times I tell him my opinion, if I think we have had improvement, I tell him also. He is up to date. He knows what is happening in the state so I don’t need to tell him too much.
How are you able to talk to your boys to stop arresting okada men on approved routes?
I want you to know that there are stipulated areas where commercial motorcycles can apply and there are capacity of motorcycles that can apply these routes as well. There is stipulated time on which the commercial motorcycles are not allow to use the road as well, so, if okadas are found on the road beyond this time they would be arrested by the police, where ever routes they are passing through.
For the issue of police men arresting them on allowed routes, we have had complains of the issues like that. Remember also that we have instructed the divisions in charge of that areas to go after the okada riders and arrest them especially those plying illegal routes, working against the laws of the land. And I am sure that you are aware that most of the crimes perpetrated in Lagos are done through okada riders. They enter area where police vehicle cannot enter. So it is good that we arrest them at night and ensure that they do not go beyond their boundaries during the day time, because okada riders have been known to motor people as they come out from banks. So we are putting them on check and ensure that they do not put their parks close to a commercial bank. Most importantly, I want to let you know that not all policemen on bike are members of RRS. RRS uses white bike and red and black stripe. Divisions and area commands now have bikes too.
Due to the nature of your job, how are you coping with your family?You are very correct. My job is very stressful, it is challenging; it is a daily thing. I go home once or twice a week. The operation officers go home only on Sundays and they have to be back before 12 pm. That has been my work as a police man. I have never been at home during my children birthday. You can hardly see me on any family album because it’s likely I would be on duty.
