Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has promised to support and scale up the operations of the Nigerian Army against kidnapping and armed robbery among other security challenges in the state.
The governor said this on Wednesday when he received the new General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Enebong Okon Udoh, at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja.
He noted that although a lot had been achieved in securing Lagos in the last 32 months, the state government would continue to support military operations designed to ensure residents go about their social and economic activities without fear.
Ambode, who pointed out that security had been the major pillar of his administration upon which the economic growth of the state was built, remained committed to sustaining the successes recorded so far.
“As an administration, we have always said that security is the real major foundation of the economic growth of Lagos and it has been proven in the last two and a half years,” he said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Habib Aruna.
“I have had the cooperation of all the security agencies in Lagos; they have worked together and there has been a lot of collaboration and improvement.
“I want to also say that I am going to scale up the activities of ‘Operation Mesa’ and I welcome the idea to set up new Army units that tackle issues that relate to kidnapping, smuggling and all the vices that we have.
“I am also very excited that we will soon have the presence of the Army in most of those areas that we are having troubles such as Ikorodu, Epe, among others so that we take security down to the people.
“There is already a division in Badagry and I just believe strongly that with the collaboration that we are renewing, Lagosians are going to benefit more from what we are doing and with the security apparatus in the right place at the right time, everybody can go about their economic and social activities and then we have a peaceful year ahead of us,” the governor said.
He optimistic that the new Army Chief would immediately join in the efforts to build on past successes and enhance security in the state.
Responding to some of the requests for collaboration and assistance for the Army, Governor Ambode commended all the security agencies in the state with an assurance of needed support from the government.
Earlier, Major General Udoh commended the governor for the massive support extended to security agencies and in particular, the Nigerian Army.
According to him, the development has greatly facilitated military operations in preventing and combating crimes in the state.
The GOC thanked the state government for swiftly responding to the issue of ocean surge recorded in Bonny Cantonment recently, just as he noted that the challenge should be expeditiously addressed.
He further sought the assistance of the government in areas of operational vehicles, a facelift for military formations in the state, and support for special teams already set up to combat oil bunkering, kidnapping, and cultism among other crimes.
