The Lagos and Ogun state police commands have beefed up security in different parts of the states to avert any possible attack by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN).
This followed a statement by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, during a security summit chaired by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, that the command was investigating threats by IPOB to attack soft targets in the state.
While reacting to the CP’s revelation, the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, had refuted the claim in a tweet.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had also described the claim as a rumour aimed at causing division, crisis and conflict among Ndigbo and their host communities.
Our correspondent, however, gathered that undercover police personnel had been deployed in places hosting critical infrastructure and institutions, as well as areas with high population of people from the eastern part of the country and motor parks in Lagos.
Odumosu told our correspondent that the command had put in place measures to curtail any potential attack by IPOB because it could not disregard such a threat.
He said, “I want to assure members of the public that inasmuch as we don’t work on rumours, at the same time we don’t disregard them. When we got the intelligence report, all the stakeholders in the security industry were sensitised.
“Residents, including landlord associations, were also sensitised. Self-security consciousness is the best; if you observe something that is abnormal in a place, you take precaution.
“We have enlightened residents and landlord associations about self-security consciousness. In conjunction with the state Ministry of Education, we also organised a series of lectures, where I had interactive sessions with all the proprietors of public and private schools with boarding facilities.”
Odumosu stated that the command had also held a summit with relevant stakeholders to strengthen security around the borders and the riverside communities, adding that the command was also working with the Ogun State Police Command to secure border towns of the two states.
The CP said, “During the summit, many contributions came up and we have empowered our marine police. It is only Ogun State that we share water and land boundaries with. We have moved round to all the borders of Lagos and Ogun states, and we have a synergy with the Ogun State Police Command.”
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, said although the state had yet to get any intelligence report suggesting any planned attack, the proximity of Lagos to Ogun State had prompted the command to expedite measures to fortify the security system.
He said, “Generally, we have on the ground what I call adequate measures directed towards containing all forms of crimes, and our measures include surveillance in areas we think are vulnerable, including highways, public institutions, buildings and individuals, who are exposed to high risk of security like politicians, private businessmen, schools, farms, banking institutions and other financial institutions.
“We have a security template that is directed towards ensuring adequate security of these areas. On the issue of IPOB, I won’t say I have not heard that information as it is flying around in the social media, it should suffice to say that we have our measures to curtail this kind of crime and we are watching very closely.”
