Lagos to Revoke Abandoned Buildings Approval

The Lagos State government has said it will henceforth revoke approvals earlier issued to owners of abandoned buildings in the state to avert their conversion into criminals’ hideout.

This came barely a month after the state government warned owners of such buildings to occupy them or face sanctions.

Briefing newsmen after the monthly State Security Council meeting chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni said that action taken by the government and the security agencies in the state was to ensure reduction in crime rate.

He said that the security agencies have raided abandoned buildings in the last one month to rid them of miscreants who had converted them to their hideout.

His words: “If you go to Falomo, one of the areas that we identified last month, that was once occupied by miscreants  it has been rid of the bad elements.

‘’Some uncompleted buildings in other areas have been raided, including Ebutte-Meta. They are now free of miscreants. The state government is working to get owners of abandoned buildings where approvals issued earlier would be revoked.’’

Aside this, Owoseni warned that armed robbers terrorizing the state will soon be crushed by the security operatives, even as he debunked the insinuation that the police lacked the capacity to combat crime in the state.

The commissioner noted that the security operatives have changed their tactics against the robbers.

According to him, the state government has declared zero tolerance for criminal activities, adding that the problem of traffic robbery will soon be a thing of the past.

On the meeting, he said; “We looked at the security challenges we are facing in the state and the need to rededicate ourselves and commit our personnel to them. As we approach the Yuletide, we want to ensure that we are able reduce the crime rate in the state. We want to reassure residents of Lagos that the government is committed to their safety.

“We have appraised the activities of the security agencies in the state. We concluded that within the past few weeks, we have seen the reduction in some of the incidents. And we do not want to rest on our oars. We have decided to recommit ourselves and be more visible on the roads. And ensure that enforcement is decisively carried out.”

He debunked the insinuation that the police had been overwhelmed and lacked the capacity to combat crime, saying, ”We have not been overwhelmed in personnel or equipment. You have seen increased presence of police on the roads. If we are overwhelmed, you will not see those personnel on the roads; if you go on the Eko Bridge now, or Third Mainland Bridge, you will find out that we have increased police presence there.”

Source: Vanguard