…Says 159 suspects arrested for various offenses in four months
…Records 14 cases of suicide
In line with the policing mantra of the acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu has officially launched the Operation Puff Adder to tackle security challenges confronting the state.
Speaking during the launch, CP Muazu noted that the launch marked a renewed vigour and determination of the command to tackle the security challenges confronting Lagos state adding that of great concern were cases of cultism, traffic robbery, youth gangsterism and murder.
He said,” We are today launching a special operation introduced by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar NPM, mni, code name ‘Operation Puff Adder’ aimed at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space from heinous criminal element that are bent on threatening the nation’s internal security order. Officers and Men for the operations are drawn from Police Mobile Force, Tactical units, Criminal Intelligence Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department, Rapid Response Squad, Taskforce and conventional policemen.
“The men are charged to ensure zero tolerance to all form of criminality and deal decisively with criminal elements in Lagos state. Tough times indeed await those who choose the path of crime in the state. We will take the battle to their door steps. Lagosians have a right to a more peaceful and orderly state and with the support of the good people of Lagos state we will rid the state off criminal elements.
“As men of Operation Puff Adder discharge their duties, they are equally enjoined to operate within the ambit of the law and must respect the fundamental human right of the citizenry”.
Fielding a question from a journalist, the Lagos Police Chief stated that the operation was a localized operation saying that the Area Commanders with the Police Moblie Force Commanders as well as the Tactical Unit Commanders in every Area Command were going to handle the nitty-gritty of the operations even as he informed that the operation was going to be all over the state and directly handled by Area Commanders with the impact felt at the grass root level.
“So, I won’t tell you at headquarters level how many officers that are going to be involved but I assure you that every Area Commander has list of these tactical units and all the benefits of those that are supposed to work in this operation attached to him and they will now do the real nitty-gritty of the operation”, he added.
He therefore warned parents and guardians to take care of their wards and children and ensure that they were in conformity with the norms of the society saying,” the command has for quite some time now battled with all this issue of gangsterism and cultism, with this operation, the command is not going to take it anymore”.
On the achievements of the command since he assumed office as the Commissioner of Police in the state, he observed that their collective efforts had yielded positive result noting that within the last four months, the command arrested 159 suspects for armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism as well as recovered 43 arms and 84 ammunition.
” Our prompt response to distress calls helped in foiling 80 armed robbery attempts. 14 cases of suicide and attempted suicide were recorded”, he further said.
While answering a question from a journalist who sought to know what the Police was doing to arrest the increasing cases of suicide in the state, the Commissioner of Police stated that “it is not within the purview of the Police to tell you why people are committing suicide”.
“We all live in the society and we all know what obtains in the society today. The only thing I will do is to ask Lagosians to take things easy. I see no reason why somebody should just end his life no matter the condition because whatever is your condition, I think somebody is worse off than you and taking one’s life is not the solution to the problem. So, Lagosians should think twice, before anybody can think of doing such a heinous thing to himself”, he concluded.
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