LSSTF model successful, must be sustained – Sanwo-Olu

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday insisted on the sustenance of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), saying it was the only way to continue to keep Lagos safe and secure for businesses and residents.

The governor’s position comes, as Abdurrazaq Balogun, the executive secretary of the LSSTF, revealed that the Fund only a paltry N153,000,000.00 as donations this year, the lowest, since the establishment of the Fund 16 years, but spent a total of N190,067,597.81 between January 1 and November 1, 2022, to provide security apparatus to various security agencies operating in the state.

“We were only able to achieve this by being prudent with our donations from previous years,” Balogun said at the 16th annual security town hall meeting of the LSSTF hosted by Governor Sanwo-Olu at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, on Thursday.

Also at the event, Abiodun Alabi, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos command, said police in the state, in the last one year, arrested 146 armed robbers in 149 foiled attempts.

Within the same period, Lagos, according to Alabi, recorded 52 cases of cultism-related attacks, with 240 suspected cultists arrested and charged.

The police chief disclosed that 89 high-grade arms and 376 assorted ammunitions were recovered, while 280 dangerous weapons, including cudgels, were seized from criminals.

Emphasising the need to continually fund the LSSFT, Governor Sanwo-Olu, praised the efforts of security agencies, which he said has ensured that Lagos recorded zero armed robbery attacks on banks and other financial institutions for three consecutive years.

Sanwo-Olu said his administration adopted a technology-driven strategy that enabled the security agencies to respond proactively ahead of potential breaches at vulnerable spots, including a web of undercover operations to frustrate armed attacks on possible targets. This, he said, has bolstered the confidence of the financial institutions to freely move their cash around the State with limited risks.

The governor said the collaborative security approach had yielded significant results in crime fighting, leading to a sharp reduction in the rate of criminality across Lagos.

“As a government, our approach to security is holistic and collaborative. Our security policy is driven by the need to engender a wholly secure environment that enables the well-being, prosperity and fulfilment of all the residents.

“We consider no amount of investment too big to be put forward in ensuring the progress we have achieved since inception is sustained.

“LSSTF has been at the forefront of these security efforts. Through the agency, we have continued to provide interventions to the police and other security agencies operating in Lagos in areas that include operational capacity, training and logistics. Our efforts have yielded encouraging results in crime fighting, as Lagos remains largely safe for business and living,” the governor said.

He disclosed that divisional police formations across the state will, next week, get 25 new pick-up trucks to assist in quick response to security threats in their areas of operation.