Speaking at the weekend during a
meeting with stakeholders in the hospitality industry at the Command
Headquarters in Ikeja, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal,
said intelligence report indicated that there was increase in drug abuse among
youths and minors, and that such was dangerous.
He said that through the efforts of the
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, there had been many initiatives and
programmes geared toward ensuring a 24-hour economy for the state.
He noted that despite the successes
recorded in recent times, there were grey areas, which must be jointly tackled
by both police and operators in line with his principle of community policing
and security partnership.
He said: “One of such areas is the
issue of drug peddling, drug use and abuse. Intelligence report at my disposal
reveals that there is increased drug peddling, drug abuse in most of our
nightclubs, lounges and beaches across the state. Young men and women freely
use narcotic substances at times open areas, at times more hidden in the toilet
areas of our clubs, lounges, hotels to the knowledge of the operators, but they
are doing nothing about it. This is wrong.”
He continued: “The scourge of drugs and
its attendant effect, not only health wise on the young population, but also
that sheer fact that there is a very clear correlation between drug and crime
is something that should make every responsible Lagosian worried. The ease,
with which our youths are getting access to drugs at clubs, lounges, beaches
etc., is worrisome and our meeting here is to send a very strong signal to
operators that it is not going to be business as usual.”
The CP said it had also been observed
that some hotels in the state now give rooms to minors and also sell alcoholic
drinks to them, while under-aged girls were also being allowed to use such
establishments for prostitution, saying that such was criminal and capable of
leading to crimes.
“In addition, we also have the issue of
criminals hibernating and having safe havens in all our beaches, hotels, clubs
and lounges these days. The last intelligence report I received indicates that
young men now move around these establishments armed. This is very dangerous
for the security of the state. We have it on good authority that some of these
establishments are used as meeting points to plan crimes before execution,”
Edgal said.
He said that although police had the
capacity to arrest any operator found aiding such, he was engaging the
stakeholders in line with the principle of community policing and security
partnership to tackle the menace frontally, while any operator found culpable
would henceforth be arrested, shamed and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Imohimi said it was compulsory for
operators to now install basic security gadgets such as CCTV cameras and metal
box detectors, among others, to cover their establishments.
The CP also set up a 10-man Committee
headed by the Managing Director of Farm City Lounge in Lekki, Mr. Lanre Carew
to come up with a comprehensive blueprint on how to strengthen security in the
hospitality industry, especially how to put a stop to drug peddling and use as
well as armed bandits gaining access to the establishments to plan crimes.
The Committee, whose members are drawn
from across the state, has two weeks to submit its report.
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