Dare Babalola
Lagos State is ready for the introduction of State Police, according to Prince Dr. Ifalade Oyekan, General Manager of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA), who stated that the state’s security setup is already geared up for the shift.
Oyekan revealed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the LNSA, seen as a trailblaser in community policing in Nigeria, is designed to seamlessly transition into a full-fledged state security entity once State Police gets the green light.
He explained that the Agency has undergone significant restructuring to address current security challenges, adopting a proactive approach that leverages technology and intelligence to keep Lagos secure.
“We are not designed to merely react to incidents, our Corps Officers are trained to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate security threats before they occur,” he said.
The LNSA boss noted that the Agency’s current operational model places strong emphasis on grassroots security, intelligence gathering and early response, which he said aligns with the objectives of state policing.
Prince Oyekan, who was recently reappointed for a second five-year term by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to deepening community-based security across the state.
He stressed that under Governor Sanwo-Olu’s leadership, the Agency and its Corps arm would continue to evolve into a modern, efficient and responsive safety institution capable of supporting the vision of a safer Lagos.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, set up an eight-member committee to oversee the implementation of State Police and to drive his policing agenda. This came shortly after his appointment as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police.
