Traditional rulers must expose criminals in the area - CP Lagos

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fatai Owoseni, has warned traditional rulers in Ikorodu area against harbouring criminals who were unleashing terror on their subjects.

Owoseni gave the warning on Sunday during an interactive meeting with traditional rulers in Ikorodu over the incessant violent crimes by suspected militants in the area.

The police boss expressed sadness over incessant kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, robbery, cultism and killings of innocent persons in the area. Owoseni told the royal fathers that the police would no longer tolerate people being killed and maimed under the watchful eyes of traditional rulers.

He urged the traditional rulers to join hands with the police so that hoodlums would have no place to hide or operate in their domains. Owoseni accused some chiefs in the area of collaborating with criminals to unleash terror on residents.

There are Baales (village heads) that are informants and sponsors of criminals in this area.They allowed militants to build houses harbouring criminals in the creeks. I want the royal fathers to call their chiefs to order.

This meeting is convened to tell them that we will no longer tolerate silent conspiracy. Traditional rulers cannot tell me they don’t know who is who in their domain; all communities are advised to organise their local vigilantes, Owoseni said.

According to him, most kidnappings, killings and other violent crimes in Lagos State takes place in Ikorodu area and urged community to be part of the security management. In the community, there are hunters and farmers; they can’t say they don’t know criminals in their communities.

There is conspiracy of silence on criminal activities and this conspiracy must stop.

Traditional rulers and religious leaders must unmask the criminals in their communities.