Lagos winning war against rising crime rate — Deputy gov

The Lagos State Government has said it is wining the war against crime.

The state Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, said this on Thursday at the 31st Edition of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria Annual Lecture and Awards in Ikeja.

He added that although crime wold always make a comeback, the government was decisively tackling escalating crime rate in the state.

Hamzat said statistics as of March 2022, revealed that public concern about crime stood at 66.04 per cent, adding the government had been addressing them.

“As Nigerians prepare for political activities to kick start campaigns for various electoral offices in the 2023 General Elections, that are being contested by multiple political parties, there is a tendency for pocket of violence and intolerance to erupt. However, as stakeholders in the political growth and economic prosperity of Nigeria, we have to collectively ensure that the process is not hijacked by unscrupulous elements. Statistics as of March 2022 reveal that public concern about crime stood at 66.04 Percent.”

Hamzat, who was represented by a Director in the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Lagos State, Mr Kayode Oyekanmi, added,  “The general concern revolves around mugging, carjacking, one-chance and more recently abductions or kidnapping for ransom. I am happy to note that our security architecture is structured to provide adequate and dynamic responses to all security threats, particularly in Lagos.”

Hamzat in a speech delivered by Oyekanmi stated that the provision of security was a function of the government that was fundamentally guaranteed by the Constitution, adding, “It also provides for citizens, individuals or corporate, to support security agencies with relevant and timely information to curb illegal or criminal activities from disrupting public serenity that could mar socioeconomic activities for the benefit of the general populace.”

Hamzat while applauding CRAN for the theme of the day, Insecurity: Tackling The Dark Cloud Over Nigeria’s Prosperity Ahead Of The 2023 General Elections, said progress and growth could only be guaranteed in a society governed by the rule of law, a society where the fundamental rights of individuals to hold an opinion and associate with people of shared values are not frowned upon.