Emmanuel Thomas
June 30, 2015 – The Nigerian Navy(NN) has vowed to collaborate with the Lagos State Government to put a stop to incidents of armed robbery in the state.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin made the pledge when the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode paid him courtesy call at Defence Headquarters, Abuja to intimate him of recent surge in armed robbery incidents in Lagos.
He assured the governor that Lagos State being the major operational hub of the Nigerian Navy with vast maritime potentials cannot be allowed to be a haven for criminals.
The Naval boss said there is the need for combined use of the security forces on air, waters and on the ground for effective control of crimes in the state.
He thanked the State Government for the harmonious working relationship with the Nigerian Navy in its quest to secure the state for economic prosperity and promised that the service would assist the state government in any capacity necessary to ensure adequate security of lives and properties in the state.
“I can assure you that I will support you with manpower which is already on ground”, he said.
Earlier, Ambode said Lagos being the foremost commercial hub of the country is strategic and cannot be a breeding ground for criminals.
It would be recalled that bandits struck at two different financial institutions within Ikorodu community last Wednesday and carted away over N80 million before fleeing via the waterways.
The govenror said his administration has resolved to evolve strategies that will frontally confront the insecurity through collaborative efforts of the State government, the private sector and security Agencies, lamenting the increase in armed robbery. He praised the efforts of the Nigerian Navy in tackling criminal activities in parts of the state.
