According to the government, the ban
on such is still very much in force and necessary to ensure disaster-free
festive period.
The government said that aside the
security measures already put in place for residents and visitors to experience
a peaceful yuletide season, it has also reconstituted the Joint Security Task
Force, to tackle Apapa gridlock and other security threats within the axis.
Briefing journalists at the end of
the security meeting chaired by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode,
the Lagos State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal, said that Apapa
gridlock, in the past few weeks, had worsened due to breakdown of operations at
the ports located in the axis.
According to him, the taskforce
comprising of police, military, officials of Lagos State Traffic Management
Authority (LASTMA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) would immediately
be deployed to the axis to ensure sanity and contain any potential security
threat.
Imohimi noted that the taskforce
would ensure that the roads in the axis are not totally locked down. He also
promised that the taskforce would also prevent criminal elements from taking
advantage of the gridlock to commit crimes.
The CP further said: “We deliberated
extensively on the Apapa gridlock and the Governor has approved with immediate
effect the reconstitution of a joint task force made up of police, the
military, LASTMA and FRSC officials to ensure that whilst the major problems
that gave rise to that situation in the first instance are being tackled, we on
our part as security agencies, will ensure that we have a good semblance of
decency on our roads.
“We will ensure that we create a
corridor for smaller vehicles and ensure that there is no complete blockade to
free flow of traffic. We will also have plain cloth and uniformed security
agencies ensuring that there is no crime in the axis due to the traffic
gridlock.”
The CP, who assured residents that
every necessary arrangement had been made to ensure peaceful yuletide season,
said the Council also approved increased visibility and patrol in all parts of
the State, especially in areas where there are gridlock as a result of
construction activities.
Already, Edgal said due to increased
patrol, about 35 notorious traffic robbers were recently arrested in Ilupeju
and Oshodi axis, many of whom he said are ex-convicts and would soon be charged
to court at the end of investigation.
He added that as a result of the
community policing and community safety partnership strategy adopted by the
Lagos Police Command, there had been about 35 per cent drop in issues of residential
robberies, while more boats had been handed over to Marine Police by the State
Government to secure the waterways and riverine areas, especially to checkmate
incursions by militants and secure schools in such areas.
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