Sanwo-Olu Reaffirms Administration’s Commitment To Protection Of Lives, Property

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday urged all Nigerians, particularly the residents of the State to re-strategise and find a lasting solution to the country’s security challenges, noting that security of lives and property is a shared responsibility of government and the citizens.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to safeguarding the lives, property, investments and the future of Lagos and expressed readiness to collaborate and support the Federal Government and other relevant security agencies to achieve a crime-free society.

Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke at the 19th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security with the Governor with the theme “Building Trust, Enhancing Security: A New Era of Security and Partnerships” held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. 

The Town Hall Meeting organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) was attended by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; serving and former public office holders; captains of industry; traditional, religious and political leaders; heads of security agencies and security personnel; and others.

The Governor, in line with his administration’s commitment to ‘Security and Governance’, which is the sixth pillar of the THEMES+ Agenda, donated 100 operational vehicles to security agencies in the State to boost their operations in the State.

The vehicles were jointly procured by the Lagos State Government and Conference 57, the association of the chairmen of 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State. 

Governor Sanwo-Olu also announced a plan by renowned philanthropist, Sir Kensington Adebutu to build a brand-new purpose-built headquarters for LSSTF, which will be completed and commissioned within 12 months. He expressed gratitude to Adebutu for his plan to build the LSSTF Building, which he described as a landmark contribution to Lagos’ long-term security infrastructure. 

Governor Sanwo-Olu further harped on the importance of collaboration, saying every investment in security is a direct investment in peace, order and prosperity. He said security cannot be left to the government alone but requires contributions from the private sector, community groups, and every resident of Lagos State.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also outlined key priorities for the state’s security strategy, which are Sustainability through public-private partnership and citizens’ participation, Continuous modernisation and technological adaptation, Institutional coordination and intelligence-led policing, Transparency, accountability and public trust, Inclusiveness, community engagement and citizen empowerment, and Preparedness for emerging challenges and long-term vision.

He also commended the immediate past Executive Secretary of LSSTF, Dr Abdulrrazaq Balogun, for his remarkable service to Lagos State. The Governor introduced the newly appointed members of the Board of Trustees of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of LSSTF, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, said Lagos has remained secure due to the huge investment of Governor Sanwo-Olu in the security architecture of the State. 

He also highlighted the achievements of the Trust Fund in the year under review, to include the acquisition of security vehicles, infrastructure and human capacity building, among others.

Giving security reports between October 2024 and September this year, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Jimoh Olohundare, said the security architecture put in place in Lagos is second to none. 

He said the security agencies are fully prepared for the ember months, noting that Lagos State is safe and secured for Detty December.