By Mohammed Adekola
The Lagos state police command and the National Emergence Management Agency (NEMA) have placed officials and personnel on alert against possible attacks on malls and warehouses in the state and the South-West.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), SP Ben Hundeyin confirmed.
Hundeyin said the command had increased surveillance around shopping malls and warehouses across the state to prevent hoodlums from attacking such facilities. Although he stated that the heightened security alertness was not in anticipation of security breach in such places but part of regular measures to stem violence.
“The Command is just being alive to its responsibilities. In fact, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Adegoke Fayoade, has deployed personnel to vulnerable places.
Area Commanders, Heads of Tactical Teams and DPOs have also been briefed in that regard.
“Operatives of the state anti-crime outfit, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), have also been briefed on the need to keep close watch on government warehouses and malls, where food items and beverages are sold.”
In the South-West Region, NEMA has increased security at its storage facilities. Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, the South-West Zone Coordinator for NEMA said.
According to him, the rationale for the enhanced security measures is in response to potential threats from individuals seeking to exploit the country’s current situation to raid government warehouses storing food supplies.
He stated, “Although, there’s no single food item in the warehouses but all critical stakeholders are on standby for any attempt by anyone to break into them.
“We are taking worse scenario precautionary safety measures to safeguard both human and other assets of the Federal Government from unforeseen circumstances.”
In recent times, there have the attacks on government and private owned food warehouses across the country over the prevailing hardship in the country. LagosPost reported on Sunday that there hoodlums looted some warehouses in the the federal capital territory.
