Akinwunmi Ambode

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode offered rewards for information on hardened  criminals in the state.

Although he did not give a specific value for the reward he said his government would compensate people bringing the information.

“I am ready to pay monetary compensation for information on hardened criminals as we proceed to make Lagos crime-free”, he told his audience at the third quarterly Town Hall meeting in Ikorodu..

He said that crime rate has reduced in the state in the last three months, crediting his defining  N4.78 billion investment in security equipment for the police.

Ambode said the quick response in the rescue of the kidnapped girls in Ikorodu and the quelling of the Mile 12 riot were testimonies of the effectiveness of the security system in Lagos.

The governor added that many criminals had so far been arrested since the launch of the security equipment.

“We are happy to report that crime rate has also reduced in the last three months,” he said.

On Okada riders plying Ikorodu Road, the governor ordered the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to enforce the law on the route and ensured that okada riders do not carry passengers from Mile 12 to Ikorodu on the expressway.

“As much as okada is dangerous to our safety and security, we as government must create alternative.  But I am happy that all our leaders and traditional leaders are here; with what we have provided on the Mile 12 axis, I don’t think anybody will want to ride okada again, it will fizzle out before I take my final action.

“The truth is about safety. We have banned okada on that axis, the CP, RRS and others should enforce the law. Anyone you take, you send them out of business. You have to confiscate the okada and prosecute the people,” he said.

Ambode re-emphasised that from now on, okada riders would not be tolerated between Mile and Ikorodu again, as government would take drastic action to nip the menace in the bud for the safety of lives.