Security operatives from the Lagos State Police Command deployed to the Ishawo Community in Ikorodu on Wednesday commenced total demolition of illegal waterfront shanties within the creeks where suspected criminal elements hibernate.
Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who briefed journalists in Ishawo on the ongoing operations in the creeks 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, said 13 suspected kidnappers have already been arrested and are currently aiding the team to track down the remaining suspects still on the run.
Four police officers and one army captain lost their lives after an ambush unleashed on them by suspected militants in Ishawo two weeks ago.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, while condoling with the families and loved ones of the departed officers, had assured that every perpetrator directly or remotely linked to the dastardly act would be brought to justice in the shortest possible time.
M Owoseni said Governor Ambode immediately ordered a joint operation to hunt down the perpetrators, adding that the operation was yielding positive results.
“So far so good following the attack that occurred at Ishawo where we lost four of our policemen and army captain, we have deployed operatives in the water. What you have seen now is for us to appraise what we have been doing for the past one week. So, quality arrests have been made and we are talking to them because the arrests that were made we believe that we get some evidential value from them, so they are talking to us, at least that makes us to know who we are looking for so that we won’t be just wild catching,” Owoseni said.
Owoseni, who was joined on the inspection of the joint operation to the den of the militants by Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Mr. Tunji Disu, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Habib Aruna, security squad leaders and some journalists, said the visit was to appraise the work done so far and the next line of action.
The police boss said that one of the suspected militants died during a fierce encounter with the intelligence response team of the inspector general of police, assuring residents in the area that they would go all out to ensure that they fish out all criminal elements in the State.
“We still 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.
“The 13 suspects we have, we are interrogating them and they are making useful statements for us and we are making progress and you can see that helicopter surveillance is also supporting all what we are doing but 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,” Owoseni said.
