A human rights organisation, Save Lagos Group, has raised an alarm on the safety of pupils of the state-owned Lagos State Government Model College located in Ikorodu area of the state.
Specifically, the Save Lagos Group is accusing operatives of the Lagos State Police Command attached to the school of abdicating their responsibility of protecting the students by mounting illegal road blocks for extorting motorists and other commuters plying Ikorodu-Igbogbo Road where the school is located.
The Lagos State Government had recently raised a security team to guard and protect schools, especially those with boarding facilities located in Ikorodu and Epe areas of the state, in the wake of the spate of kidnapping activities in the two towns, targeted at the school children.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Convener of the Save Lagos Group, Comrade Adeniyi A. Sulaiman, the group also lauded staff of the Lagos State Mediation Centre for coming to the aid of a Lagos landlord, Sunday Shotonwa, who is currently being threatened by his tenants who have refused to pay their rents.
Commenting on the action of the policemen, Sulaiman noted that the security men have decided to split themselves into three cells operating at Oseni Bus Stop, Bashorun Bus Stop and Sheriff Bus Stop besides Holy Trinity Private School, close to Igbogbo Police Station and the police barracks located in the area.
Sulaiman said: “We are sounding this note of warning to the police authorities in Lagos State with a view for them to put in place a mechanism for effective monitoring of their personnel that have been posted to guarantee the safety of these children. The information at our disposal indicates that these security men, mostly drawn from the police force have not been doing their work but rather have elected to mount series of roadblocks which the leadership of the force has outlawed.
“Our concern stems from the fact that the activities of these policemen who particularly operate in the night pose a grave danger to the security and the wellbeing of the hapless students they have been drafted by the authorities to protect.”
The Save Lagos Group listed the number of the pick up vehicle being used by men of the police who are supposed to protect the students as AAA 318 AP along with three others whose plate numbers it is yet to ascertain as at the time of writing the press statement.
Sulaiman said: “We are however calling on parents and guardians of students of the school to ensure periodic check on their children and wards in the school since the men of the police seem incapable of safeguarding their safety as they more preoccupied with extorting money from motorists and commuters rather than doing the jobs they have been assigned to do.”
Sulaiman also raised an alarm regarding the activities of the police officers whom he accused of mounting another illegal roadblock along Ebute/Odofin Road right in front of Dabib Oil and Gas Limited, close to Ansar-Deen Primary School, Ipakodo Road, Igbogbo, Ikorodu Lagos.
The group gave a seven-day ultimatum to the police in the state to put its house in order by rectifying these problems created by its personnel in the affected areas highlighted, saying failure to do so, will attract legal action as the conduct of the personnel is a grave infringement of the rights of the citizens living in the areas mentioned.
On the plights of Shotanwa, the Save Lagos Group praised the staff of the Lagos State Mediation Centre for stepping into his matter by taking the right steps to effect the ejection of his errant tenants in his property located at 21, Ifeloju Street, Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos.
Sulaiman said: “We are very delighted to tell the whole world that the centre is living up to its mandate of protecting the people. Our sense of joy stems from the decision of the centre to step into the matter between Mr. Shotonwa and his tenants who are threatening to kill him after they refused to pay his rents for 5 years.”
According to the Save Lagos Group, the commendation stems from a letter addressed to the tenants, dated October 4, 2017, tagged: “In-Re: Memorandum of Understanding Dated 28th Day of July, 2017 Between Mr. Sunday Shotonwa and Mr. Bamidele Ajayi, Mr. Abisodun Adeyemo, Mr. Jelili Odofin, Mr. Erinfolami Olanrewaju, Mrs Kemisola Kelani and others.”
Sulaiman specifically commended personnel of the centre such as Mrs. A. Ogunsanwo and Akinsanya Olugbenga, who promptly went into action through the instruction of the ebullient Director of Centre, Oluwatoyin A. Odusanya.
He added: “We are commending the centre, particularly these officers who have demonstrated uncommon zeal in public service. They have promised to utilise all legal and constitutional means to ensure that they retrieve the property of Mr. Shotonwa for him from his notorious tenants. Having commended them, we are also urging them to see to the logical conclusion of the matter because their activities are being monitored.
“Our praise for these officers stems from the need to praise government officials where and when they are doing well and to give them knocks when they are shirking in their responsibilities.”