Picnews
Sustainable security is built not only through the efforts of law enforcement agencies but also through active community participation, public trust and strategic partnerships that bridge the gap between citizens and security institutions. In Lagos, that collaboration continues to gather momentum as the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) deepens its grassroots engagement to promote crime prevention, peaceful coexistence and intelligence sharing across communities.
The commitment to community policing was once again brought to the fore as the leadership of the PCRC Lagos State, paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, who also serves as the first Patron of PCRC in Lagos State, to appreciate his unwavering support for the organisation and his longstanding contributions to security development in Lagos and Nigeria at large. The Executive members’ visit came after the PCRC had concluded a series of advocacy walks across parts of the state, sensitising residents on the dangers of cultism, drug abuse and other social vices while encouraging greater collaboration with the Police.
Welcoming the delegation led by the State Chairman, Apostle Kehinde A. Showemimo, Dr. Ogunsan commended the PCRC for its selfless service and enduring commitment to supporting the police through community-based initiatives. “I appreciate the PCRC. These are elderly people who would ordinarily be enjoying retirement, yet they continue to sacrifice their time, resources and experience to support the police and build safer communities without expecting any reward,” he said.
The LSSTF CEO disclosed that the Fund has continued to expand the deployment of technology-driven security solutions across Lagos, particularly the use of drones for surveillance and intelligence gathering. “Since the Pan-Atlantic University experience, we started deploying drones to monitor the environment and identify suspicious activities. We have covered Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Badagry and Ikorodu. We have surveilled our border communities, and the intelligence generated is already providing useful operational information for the Police and other security agencies,” Ogunsan stated.
He revealed that intelligence obtained from the aerial surveillance operations had culminated in a coordinated security operation involving Lagos and Ogun States. “About 3,000 personnel from Lagos and another 3,000 from Ogun have commenced a joint operation to dislodge criminal elements from forest areas along the border corridors. LSSTF is supporting the operation with the resources required to ensure its success,” he disclosed.
Reaffirming his commitment to strengthening security institutions through capacity building, Ogunsan announced that the LSSTF’s monthly Inter-Agency security training programme, which commenced in March, would continue throughout the year. “Training is part of life and part of career development. I made up my mind from the first day I assumed office that security personnel in Lagos must continue to receive regular training and retraining. A well-trained officer is better equipped to protect lives and property,” he said, while inviting the PCRC leadership to participate in the July edition of the programme.
Earlier in the day, members of the PCRC embarked on an advocacy walk from Pen Cinema through Agege to Area ‘G’ Police Command, distributing educational materials and engaging residents in English, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo on the dangers of cultism, drug abuse and other criminal activities. “We walked through markets and communities telling people that cultism is bad, crime destroys lives and that they should trust the police, report suspicious activities and work together for safer communities,” said the Chairman of the PCRC Lagos State, Apostle Kehinde A. Showemimo.
Showemimo praised Dr. Ogunsan’s longstanding contributions to policing and community safety, describing him as “a pillar of support whose contributions to the police and community policing cannot be measured.”
“Your support cannot be measured. It cannot be quantified. Wherever you are, you speak for PCRC. You are our mouthpiece. You make us proud because we have somebody we can rely on and somebody we can trust,” he said.
According to him, Ogunsan had been supporting the Nigeria Police Force long before becoming the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF. “Even before this appointment, you had always been working behind the scenes. You were galvanising society to support the police, encouraging government institutions to support the police and inspiring officers to become better professionals. Your passion has always been about making our security architecture stronger,” he added.
The PCRC Chairman also highlighted several community-based interventions undertaken by the organisation, including anti-drug campaigns in schools, domestic violence awareness programmes, youth sensitization exercises and the provision of communication equipment for police stations.
Also speaking during the visit, the Executive Assistant to the LSSTF, Mrs. Adaobi Nwankwo, urged members of the PCRC to encourage residents to make effective use of the Fund’s dedicated Security Tips WhatsApp platform. “Residents can send messages, pictures and videos through the LSSTF Security Tips WhatsApp lines. Every credible report received is immediately shared with the police or the appropriate security agency for prompt action,” she explained.
The two LSSTF dedicated Security Tip Lines through which residents can submit information are;
0911 019 5555 and 0916 201 1179. The dedicated phone numbers will serve Messaging-Only purposes so as to harness grassroots information in video, picture, and audio messaging formats and promptly channel them to the appropriate security agencies. The initiative is designed to strengthen collaboration between the public and security agencies through actionable intelligence.
The visit underscored the growing synergy between the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, the Police Community Relations Committee and security agencies, reinforcing the shared belief that effective policing is strengthened through technology, continuous capacity building and active community participation in safeguarding lives and property across Lagos State.
Other PCRC Lagos executive members in attendance during the visit to LSSTF Headquarters are; Deputy General Secretary, PCRC Lagos, Jude Noah (Esq.); State Financial Secretary, PCRC, Rev. Dr. Mrs. Helen Animashaun; Treasurer, PCRC Lagos, Chief Adebisi K. Osideinde; Assistant General Secretary, PCRC Lagos, Dr. Mrs. Regina Obasa and Organizing Secretary, PCRC Lagos, Comrade Aranju S.A.
