Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos is currently under a partial security lockdown, police commissioner Abiodun Alabi declared on Wednesday.

He said security agencies were prepared for criminals that may want to disturb the peace of the state.

Mr Alabi disclosed this in Lagos during the Lagos State Stakeholders’ Forum on Police Accountability (SFPA)’s quarterly meeting and awards.

He gave a keynote address on “Police Community Partnership: Panacea for Effective Police Performance” at the event supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

Mr Alabi said the partial lockdown was for a purpose, stressing that the police and other security agencies in Lagos were ready for any intruders.

He said there were stop-and-search points at different places that had become parts of the security architectures in the state.

The Lagos police boss, who said that though the number of police personnel in the state was inadequate, added that with community/police partnership, the current number could tackle all crimes and criminality.

Mr Alabi said the force was committed to accountability, where those with excellent performances would always be rewarded amongst the personnel, and sanctions would be meted out to erring and unprofessional ones.

He called on the traditional rulers, community leaders, religious leaders, and transporters to always engage the police in their areas for better policing.

Mr Alabi also implored the residents to be interested in the activities of the police and see officers as their family members and not mere friends.

Earlier, the coordinator of SFPA, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the forum was established in 2018 as an outcome of CSOs and other stakeholders’ engagement with the police command in Lagos on issues of police accountability.

Mr Nwanguma commended the IGP for punishing those involved in various unprofessional conduct in the past, stressing that this action indicated that the IGP was ready to combat corrupt practices and unprofessional conducts.

On attack on some policemen by soldiers where an Inspector was killed, Nwanguma called for justice for the dead officer.

(NAN)