Sanwo-Olu Seeks Stronger Collaboration for Safer Lagos

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday said safeguarding lives and property in the state requires a shared responsibility between government and citizens, stressing the need to strengthen partnerships to tackle emerging security challenges.

He said this at the 19th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security with the governor, organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) in Victoria Island.

Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to collaborate with the Federal Government and security agencies to achieve a crime-free state.

He said the theme of this year’s meeting, ‘Building Trust, Enhancing Security: A New Era of Security and Partnerships,’ captured the state’s direction in strengthening public safety.

The governor said that to him, investment in security remained a non-negotiable priority.

“Every investment we make in security is a direct investment in peace, order and prosperity.

“Security is not a task for government alone. It is a shared duty, and we must continue to work together to build a safer Lagos for all,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of LSSTF, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, said Lagos remained relatively secure due to the governor’s consistent and strategic funding of the state’s security architecture.

Ogunsan listed the fund’s achievements over the last year to include acquisition of patrol vehicles, construction and rehabilitation of security infrastructure and extensive human-capacity development across key agencies.

“We have continued to strengthen security operations because the governor has never relented in supporting the Fund.

“Our interventions from vehicles to technology and personnel training have significantly enhanced response capacity,” he said

In his welcome address, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of LSSTF, Mr Kehinde Durosimi-Etti, commended donors for sustaining the Fund, describing trust as the foundation of effective security support.

He appealed for more public participation in the Fund, saying: “We encourage well-meaning individuals, corporate organisations, the private sector, students and youths to contribute.

“Securing Lagos, and indeed Nigeria, requires all hands on deck.”

Providing security statistics from October 2024 to September 2025, Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Mr Jimoh Olohundare, said the command recorded 152 murder cases, arrested 9,275 miscreants and recovered 518 rounds of ammunition within the period.

He said there were also other crimes that were successfully tackled. (NAN)