LAGOS – Security experts in Lagos has urged law enforcement agencies to make their impact felt in local communities of the state to curb the rising cases of gang wars.
In separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos, the experts decried the incessant cases of gang wars in certain areas resulting to deaths and loss of properties.
Mr. Alex Ovili, a security consultant, said there was need for law enforcement agencies to go extra mile in discharging their statutory duties in view of the rising cases of gang wars by cult groups.
“Some hoodlums often take advantage of their local community to commit crimes with the belief that they will get away with it
“Often when these hoodlums are arrested, they get released on the basis that the families involved will settle among themselves.
“These goes on and on and continue to increase the crime rate in the localities,” Olutayo said.
Also, Mr. Mike Olutayo, Head of Operations, Identity Securities, said that security agencies should establish good rapport with people in the communities in order to get tipped about criminal activities in their locality.
?”Even if it is difficult for the security officials to be everywhere, they should establish good relationship with the people who will hint them on criminal activities of hoodlums,” he said.
In the same vein, Mr. Emmanuel Udoh, another security consultant, said that? there should be coordination and communication such that security agencies closest to the scene would respond immediately even before the police.
“Security agencies should be coordinated in a way that violent situations should be first arrested by any security official close to the scene instead of waiting for the police,” he said.
Udoh said that when such measures were put in place hoodlums won’t take advantage of the absence of the police to commit crime.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos Command, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, advised residents not to hesitate in reporting criminal activities to the nearest police station.
Nwosu said that reports like these aided police investigations and assist to nip such criminal activities in the bud.