‘Eko Strike Force’: Lagos may get ‘Policing Urban Space’s Initiative’ as IGP, CP Jimoh, Ogunsan meet UN-Habitat
By Oki Samson
CITIZENS COMPASS– One of the fastest growing cities globally, Lagos State is burgeoning with over 20 million inhabitants and about 86 people said to enter the city state every minute. Its government, policymakers, and others at the helm must continue to up their ante in the area of safety and security, crime reduction, and sustainability in order to keep its productivity and economy ahead, National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) can report.
Successive governments since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999 have pushed for the promotion of a secured and safer Lagos. From the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) to the first-of-its-kind security funding agency, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) to its community-based Lagos Neighborhood Safety Agency (LNSA), Lagos continues to churn out brilliant ideas which has enabled it to keep its place as Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre and West Africa’s economic hub. Another revolutionary security outfit which may significantly drive down crime and criminality in Nigeria’s most viable state is the ‘Eko Strike Force.’
Desirous to actualize the dream of the Executive Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to leave the security situation of Lagos State in a much better, safer, and secure state than it currently is in line with his THEMES+ Agenda, the Board Member of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayo Ogunsan and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh attended a broad-based meeting at the UN-Habitat regional headquarters in Abuja also visit the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun at the Force headquarters.
The ‘Eko Strike Force’ is patterned after the ‘Policing Urban Space’ framework developed by the United Nations agency, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (commonly known as UN-Habitat) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It will consider the social, economic, and spatial context of crime.
Mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities,
UN-Habitat developed the security framework in 2010. This is to provide guidance and resources for law enforcement policymakers and officers to address crime problems in low- and middle-income urban areas.
Speaking on the ‘Eko Strike Force’ idea, the LSSTF Board Member, Dr. Ogunsan who met with officials of UN-Habitat hinted that the ‘Policing Urban Space program is a comprehensive approach to urban policing which Lagos State will greatly benefit from when implemented. The Eko Strike Force will be developed as a robust statewide initiative which will factor in the social, economic, geographical, and other uniqueness of Lagos so as to get the much-needed gains.’
The LSSTF Board Member, thus, praised the Lagos CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh for his drive, diligence, and dexterity since assuming the no. 1 policing job in Lagos. He was emphatic about the grace and candor in which CP Jimoh has played his role as the 41st CP of Lagos especially in the light of the difficult challenges of that period. Ogunsan was very optimistic that the new CP will enjoy tremendous support of Lagos State, many of which ‘you have involved my expertise and experience in engaging with the intricacies of the development of the ideas, the planning, and subsequent execution. You have my word, I will put my energy behind you. God bless you on this new journey which is a significant one for your trajectory as a Police officer in the Nigeria Police Force.’
Delivering his remarks on the intricacies of the Eko Strike Force at his inaugural visit to LSSTF, CP Moshood Jimoh who took office earlier in February said: ‘I want to take time out to appreciate the Executive Secretary/CEO, Dr. Balogun and appreciate Lagos State Security Trust Fund for all what you have been doing for the Lagos State Police Command that have made the job of policing in Lagos much more easier. Lagos is a center of excellence and Lagos is a pacesetter across the country. The Security Trust Fund is being replicated across the country. Also today, you have RRS in Abuja, and the postings come from Force Headquarters but the funding partly comes from the FCT.’
‘In our earlier discussion with the LSSTF Board Member, Dr. Ogunsan whom I respect so much, I told him that we need to do something a little bit different, because you have been doing something that others are doing. I pleaded with Dr. Ogunsan that we have to attend a broad-based meeting at the UN Habitat. In 2010, the UN Habitat started a project in Nigeria called Policing Urban Space. Since then, there has not been follow-up, either from the FCT administration or from the federal government on Policing Urban Space, which is an initiative of the UN Habitat. We had a lengthy meeting with them. They are very happy that we are coming to them so that they can create what we call a template to work for a safer Lagos though we already have the structure in place in Lagos, but if we don’t have such an organization to channel a roadmap into which you can build on, it won’t be good enough. I know that Governor Sanwo-Olu is very much concerned about improving on what he met on ground. We have been given the comprehensive blueprint of what is expected of us and probably when we meet Mr. Governor, we will present to him. I discussed with Dr. Ayo that we are thinking of establishing what we call the Eko-Strike Force.’
‘We have the RRS which is an elite police team. Then if we have the Eko-strike force which is going to have a double face – the overt and the covert. The covert will essentially be populated by officers who are going to be undercover, our tactical escort. The vehicle they are going to use will be completely different from what the overt will be using.’
The 41st Lagos CP added: ‘The overt, at the initial stage will have large numbers of vehicles and it’s going to be an all mobile patrol team. They are going to be stationed in Surulere at the area C Command Headquarters. If there’s any incident on the island, they can swiftly move as a team and if on the mainland, they can swiftly move as a team. Each of the team will be from MOPOL 2, MOPOL 22, 23, 43, and 49. That will be what will be prescribed on their vehicles so that they can move jointly, part of the vehicle that you are giving us will be for that purpose.’
‘The covert team will be the tactical squad. They will not use conventional police patrol vehicles. Primarily what we used to do in Abuja then is to use a space bus. We can paint the bus in regular commercial bus colors so that they can walk undercover and be able to attend to the urgent situation at hand. That’s what we discussed that we’re going to bring on board to make a difference. This equally will be integrated into the Policing Urban Space plan that we have with the UN Habitat’, Jimoh stated.
UN-Habitat envisions well-planned, well-governed, and efficient cities and other human settlements, with adequate housing, infrastructure, and universal access to employment and basic services such as water, energy, and sanitation. Lagos may be the first State in Nigeria to take advantage of the globally accepted initiative because neither the FCT nor other states have deployed it.
