Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Police Command has explained that it cannot discontinue stop-and-search operations, citing the need for such measures in maintaining public safety.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said this on Monday, while responding to a netizen on X (formally Twitter).
The X user identified only as Demmy of Lagos accused officers of the Command in Ketu police station of causing gridlock with their stop-and-search process on the highway.
Demmy of Lagos wrote, “@AbimbolaShotayo @PoliceNG_CRU @LagosPoliceNG why are your men from ketu police station always conducting stop and search on the highway causing traffic between ile ilę and ketu bus stop,they do this everyday with their dogs(aja olopa). Please do something about it” (sic)
Responding the Lagos police spokesperson noted that the importance of a stop-and-search is more than the difficulty it causes road users.
She replied, “Hmmmm. We cannot discontinue stop-and-search operations. In many instances, they are intelligence-driven. They serve a critical preventive purpose, through these operations, we have recorded significant recoveries and apprehended suspects involved in criminal activities.
“I totally agree that it may occasionally cause traffic delays, I’ll implore you to look beyond the inconvenience and focus on the overriding security benefits, which should remain a priority.”
