RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos.
No fewer than 36 stolen vehicles have been recovered by operative of the Lagos State Police Command recently, New Nigerian Newspaper has learnt.
In the same vein 82 assorted firearms and different calibres of ammunition were recovered from criminals, which include armed robbers and cultists.
The Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command Olohundare Moshood Jimoh made the disclosure Wednesday at a media briefing on the achievements of the Command held at the Command’s headquarters, Ikeja.
Aside the 36 vehicles, the Police boss informed that there 70 others still under going investigation but can not be brought to the parade ground due to immobility.
He explained that some of the vehicles were snatched from other States and other their way to other countries through the borders or removed from parks in Lagos.
Jimoh attributed the breakthroughs to the crime prevention and control, and other strategies adopted by the Command since his assumption of office to ensure residents sleep with their eyes closed.
Disclosing that some of the suspected cultists are currently in police custody, Jimoh assured that they will be prosecuted on completion of various investigations into their cases.
His words, ” Let me gladly welcome you all to today’s press briefing to show case achievements recorded by the Lagos State Police Command in crime prevention, control, and management throughout Lagos State. When I came on board as the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, new crime prevention and tactics were put in place and implemented to turn around the operation modalities of the command for prompt prevention and detection of crimes and criminality throughout Lagos State.
“This is to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Lagosians and equally ensure that the huge investment of the federal government of Nigeria, the Lagos State government, and that of local and foreign investors are safe and secure for commerce activities and other economic businesses and grow peacefully throughout the length and breadth of the state.
“This press briefing dwells on a lot of achievements that have been recorded by the Lagos State Police Command, crime prevention and control, and other strategies that we have adopted to ensure that Lagosians go home and sleep in their troops and clothes. I
“This is on the recovery of stolen vehicles from Weir Park in Lagos. And those vehicles that were stolen or snatched from other states of the Federation. Some of these vehicles that are recovered today are in the process of being taken outside this country to the borders in Lagos State.
“Quite a number of assorted firearms and ammunition were equally recovered from the cultists and other men of the underworlds in Lagos State. Some of these cultists are currently in police custody and they are going to be prosecuted on completion of various investigations into their cases.
“These vehicles that we are seeing here today are 36 in number. They are exotic vehicles. Some of them are into several millions, hundreds of millions of Naira.
“They were recovered from fraudulent transactions and advance fee frauds. Some of them were recovered from those who snatched them from other states and tried to pass them through Lagos State to get them out of the country. They are equally part of the vehicle that drivers who are trusted to be in charge of those vehicles decided to take away from their owners.
“Some of them have been sold and we recover them from where they have been sold to and some of them are still in possession of them. We recover them equally. We equally retrieve some of them from some of the hoodlums that have taken possession of them criminally from the owners.
“I want to let you know that this 36 is presented to you because of lack of space. We still have about 70 others that are immobile. One way or the other, their cases are currently under investigation.
“So I hereby want to call on all Lagosians and visitors to Lagos and in the neighbouring states to use their vehicles and stolen at gunpoint or planning a removal from their park or taken away by their drivers to come to the command headquarters for identification and collection.”