Lagos – The Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) on Thursday reiterated its call on the federal Government to allow for the creation of state police, following the kidnap of three children in Ikorodu Area of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmakers’ reactions were as a result of the kidnapping of three children in Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Agunfoye Lugbusi, Ikorodu on Feb. 29.
Raising the issue under Matters of Urgent Public Importance on the floor during plenary, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, called on the Lagos State Government (LASG) to beef up security in the state.
Agunbiade condemned the kidnapping in strong terms, urging the Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, to beef up security in the area.
“The state government should beef up security in Ikorodu Area, educate owners of private schools on how to secure their hostels,” he said.
The lawmaker, however, sympathised with the parents of the kidnapped children.
In her contribution, Mrs Omotayo Oduntan (APC-Alimosho II) expressed concern over the frequency of such events in Ikorodu area of the state.
Oduntan urged Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to intensify security in the area.
She also said that school children should know how to alert security men through the toll free nos: 112 or 767; anytime they noticed strange movements of people they suspected to be criminals around their school premises.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
Also speaking, Mr Lanre Ogunyemi, the Chairman, House Committee on Education said, “It was surprising that one of the kidnappers was said to be a bricklayer employed to execute some jobs in the school.
“The insiders must have been behind the incident. The hoodlums came from far area; we will like the state government and law enforcement agents to rescue the children.”
Other lawmakers took turns to condemn the development and jointly called for the creation of a state police.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa said, “those in-charge of the nation’s security are inadequate and security is poor in the state.
“We learned that policemen got late to the school, where the incident happened. The Federal Government should allow for state police to reduce such incidents.
“Private schools should also tighten-up security in their schools. We learnt that the abductors destroyed a part of the school’s perimeter fence through which they gained entrance into its premises.
“Also, CCTV cameras should be installed in the schools to monitor criminals,” he said.
NAN reports that gunmen on Feb. 29 at about 9 p.m. struck in the school’s hostel and kidnapped three girls in the process. (NAN)
