Lagos beefs up security for sallah
…Assures residents of hitch-free celebration

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said adequate preparations have been put in place toward ensuring hitch-free celebration of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir, disclosing that security personnel have been mobilized to be at strategic places such as praying grounds, amusement parks, malls, among others.

Rising from the monthly Security Council Meeting chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and attended by heads of all security agencies in the State, the government said security agencies have been alerted to be in strategic places before, during and after the celebration to nip any potential security situation in the bud.

While briefing Government House Correspondents at the end of the meeting, the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni said the Council appraised the security strategies already put in place for the celebration and members were satisfied with the solid arrangement towards a successful celebration.

The CP said: “We looked at all the strategies that have been put in place by all the security agencies and the support that the State Government is giving us and we are satisfied that we are well prepared to ensure that residents of Lagos have hitch-free holiday period and that the Muslim brothers and sisters also have a successful and hitch-free Eid-el-Kabir holiday.

“Security agencies will be at all the strategic places including the Eid-el-Kabir praying ground, amusement parks and the malls so that by the time we are ending the holiday and the Sallah is finished, everybody will be happy to say that it is another successful holiday and it is another successful Eid-el-Kabir celebration.”

Besides, Owoseni debunked conflicting media reports on the casualties at the mayhem between House and Fulani communities in Agege Abattoir area of the State, saying that only one person was unfortunately killed during the crisis.

He said security agencies responded swiftly to douse the tension, adding that the mayhem was purely an issue of miscreants and criminal elements wanting to make life more difficult for the people.

He said the police also adopted Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism by talking to the leaders of the communities on the need to embrace peace and curb the excesses of those miscreants, while more security personnel have been deployed to the area to forestall a repeat.

Earlier, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said the Council also deliberated on the all-men-walk led by Governor Ambode against domestic and sexual violence, adding that government was determined to decisively deal with any perpetrator of such heinous crimes no matter how highly or lowly placed in the society.

He said there was serious commitment of the police and other security agencies towards tackling the menace once and for all.