- Say CCTV cameras installed by the state government had aided in the arrest of many criminal suspects
- Assured residents and visitors to the state of adequate security
The Police Command in Lagos State has debunked a publication alleging high crime rates in the state.
The Command’s spokesperson, CSP. Benjamin Hundeyin refuted the report in a statement on Monday in Lagos.
He said that the publication in the Guardian Newspaper on Monday with the headline” Concerns as Lagos State grapples with high crime rate despite Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras” was false.
“It has come to the attention of the command a publication alleging high crime rates in the state.
“In debunking this preposterous claim, it is worthy to first mention that this story was written as far back as July 2024, but for some inexplicable reasons, the newspaper chose to release the story in Jan. 20.
“A clear six months after, without any effort to update it to reflect current realities.
“More importantly, empirical statistics have shown that the thrust of the story is baseless and unfounded, ” he said.
According to him, a few months back, Lagos State unanimously adjudged the safest state in the country.
“This development made the state a one-stop destination for all Nigerians and visitors especially during the Yuletide.
“It is on record that over five hundred thousand people entered Lagos in December 2024 alone and ninety per cent of them remained in the state, within the same period, and near-zero crime was recorded, ” he said.
Hundeyin said that the CCTV cameras installed by the state government had aided in the arrest of many criminal suspects.
“The command can confirm that the CCTV cameras installed had indeed aided in the monitoring and arrest of many criminally-minded elements even before they could carry out their nefarious activities.
“That some of these achievements do not make it to the news does not mean they are not happening, ” he said.
According to him, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Olanrewaju Ishola, condemns the ill-thought-out decision of the media house to publish an outdated story capable of causing needless panic within the state.
He said that CP Ishola further called on readers to ignore the publication and go about their lawful duties without fear of harassment or intimidation.
The image maker said that the CP assured residents and visitors to the state of adequate security.
“CP Ishola assures that adequate human, material and operational resources have been strategically deployed across the length and breadth of the state to ensure optimum safety and security of all and sundry, ” he said.