The Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday commenced the demolition of shanties within the creeks in Isawo community in Ikorodu, where suspected criminals hide to carry out their activities.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, confirmed the operations to newsmen in Isawo.
He said that the ongoing demolition was to clear the creeks of militants and other hoodlums hiding in them.
Owoseni said that the operation was being conducted by a combined team of the State Marine Police, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), mobile policemen and the men from the anti-kidnapping squad in coordination with the local vigilante group.
He said during the operations, 13 suspected kidnappers were arrested and were currently helping the police to track down the remaining suspects still on the run.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on April 9, four police officers, an army captain and a civilian lost their lives after an ambush by suspected militants in Isawo area.
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, while condoling with the families of the deceased officers, had assured that every perpetrator directly or remotely linked to the dastardly act would be brought to justice.
The police commissioner had on April 13, assured that in the next few days, things will changed in the area.
“Arrests have been made and we believe we will get some valuable information from them,” Owoseni said.
The commissioner said that one of the suspected militants died during a fierce encounter with the police.
“We want to assure members of the public that these people have murdered sleep and they will not sleep, we will make sure that all of them are rooted out and that they face the full wrath of the law.
“We want to assure members of the public around this axis that the government is ready, the security agents are ready to ensure that we put an end to the madness of these criminal elements,” the police boss said.
Owoseni commended the local vigilante group for assisting the police to navigate the area and fish out the criminals.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank the civilian men that have decided to join us and take us to navigate the water and also give us a lead to the centre of activities which is the creek where these criminal elements have been hibernating,” Owoseni said. (NAN)