No fewer than 88 suspects have been arrested 48 hours after the launched of Operation Flush’ by the Lagos State Police Command.
The suspects were arrested in some major parts of the state and recovered from them includes; Pistol and hard drugs and other criminal items.
The arrest of the suspects was against the backdrop of the recent return of traffic robbers in the State.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa made this known over the weekend when he visit the secretariat of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria.
Owohunwa said few hours after the launched of the ‘Operation Flush’ Policemen from the command arrested 88 suspects, recovered hard drugs, pistol and other criminal items. So many divisions have undertaken raids of black spots in the State.
“Some divisions also made some arrest, but the current tension about traffic robbers happens in Orile and it was in a day time. We are not relaxing weekly we will be given you update of the success of what we are doing.
“On Orile we have taken some decisions and we are going to have a permanent base in the area. We are taking the battle to the doorsteps of the criminals across the state not just Orile alone. I have also seen the local government chairman of that area to help cover the potholes in the area for everyone benefits.”
On the issue of gender base violence, to upscale it we have relocated the office from the command headquarters, Ikeja to the former Intelligence Response Team office in the GRA for it to operate optimally.
Owohunwa said on assumption of to office he relocated the gender Unit office out of the command, to modernized the facilities.
“By time we are done with the facilities, we were told in developing the concept, the ward will contain about forty of them. I attention was drew to the fact that some victims of domestic violence, in the cause of their reports, they might be scared of going back to that same place where they were abused to avoid possible anger or assault by their spouse and so we are now creating hostels for them.
“Within the few days it will take to resolve their issues, they’ll have both the children area and restaurant area, they’ll have recall centre, we have safe custody for those that would be held in the facility.
“There would be case management offices, there would be physio-socio support unit, there’ll also be legal unit. So it’s going to be national standard if not global standard, some NGOs are seeing to it. You are free to go there, now the modelling has started, I do hope I’ll be able to put you through before exiting Lagos State. So we’re doing that for gender based violence, so I don’t think we should have anything to worry about.”
The command is working with the office of first lady of Ogun State and some Non governmental organization to remodel the place and also modernized the facilities.
“I am doing that so that the confidence in the police to handle such case will be enhanced, sexual violence, domestic violence and family related violence is one of the highest crime in Lagos State.
“People will have more confidence to come out and complain. In fact, to me, gender based violence, sexual abuse, and family related violence is one of the highest crimes in Lagos. Unfortunately, not fully reported because of socio-cultural factors, so we’re trying to attend to that and we’ll be glad if CRAN will be a part of it.
He said: “We have a committee on the gender base violence issue, we may integrate your members into it. So also so on the issue of human rights abuse, sincerely I am concern because nothing can create a gap between the police and the citizens. I will try within my leadership capacity to make a difference.
“I want to thank you for partnering with me, you are helping me by partnering with me because you are on the ground, I have received quality information, criminal valuables information from some you. So it’s in my interest that we partner for the benefits of the command and the state in general.”
