The people of Ishawo Community in Ikorodu will no longer sleep in apathy and anxiety over the nefarious activities of hoodlums who have turned the area into den as security operatives from the Lagos State Police Command deployed to the riverine area Wednesday commenced total demolition of illegal waterfront shanties within the creeks.
The State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni who briefed journalists in Ishawo on the ongoing operations in the creeks by a combined team of the State Marine Police, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), mobile policemen and the men from the anti-kidnapping squad in coordination with the local vigilante group, said 13 suspected kidnappers have already been arrested and are currently aiding the team to track down the remaining suspects still on the run.
It would be recalled that two weeks ago, four Police Officers and one Army Captain lost their lives after an ambush unleashed on them by suspected militants in Ishawo area.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, while condoling with the families and loved ones of the departed officers, had assured that every perpetrator directly or remotely linked to the dastardly act would be brought to justice in the shortest possible time.
Owoseni said that the Governor immediately ordered a joint operation to hunt down the perpetrators, adding that the operation was yielding positive results.
“So far so good following the attack that occurred at Ishawo where we lost four of our policemen and army captain, we have deployed operatives in the water. What you have seen now is for us to appraise what we have been doing for the past one week. So, quality arrests have been made and we are talking to them because the arrests that were made we believe that we get some evidential value from them, so they are talking to us, at least that makes us to know who we are looking for so that we won’t be just wild catching,” Owoseni.
Owoseni said that one of the suspected militants died during a fierce encounter with the Intelligence Response team of the Inspector General of Police, assuring residents in the area that they would go all out to ensure that they fish out all criminal elements in the State.
He commended the synergy of the combined efforts of the security operatives, just as he added that the efforts of the local vigilante groups who are familiar with the terrain was critical to the operation especially in aiding to navigate the hideouts of the militants.
