By Ekamma UBA, Assistant Investigator Editor, Lagos/
LAGOS– THE Inspector-General of Police IGP Alkali Usman Baba has ordered all Police personnel redident in Lagos Barracks to vacate accommodation with immediate effect for onward commencement of renovation.
A signal to that effect signed by the ACP Provot at the Force Headquarters Abuja and sighted by CrimeWorld magazine online gave Monday May 1,2023 as effective date and Wednesday May 30,2023 as the last date for vacation.
The reason for the order according to the signal followed the recent collapse of a section of a building in a police Barracks in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The signal mandated the Lagos Provost to ensure strict compliance to the IGP’s order.
The affected barracks are: MOPOL Barracks Ikeja, Police Barracks Surulere, MOPOL 2 Barracks keffi, Ije Barracks Obalende, Mammy Barracks Apapa, Iponri Barracks Costain amongst others.
Frantic efforts to get the reaction of the Force public relations officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on the matter was not possible as his mobile phone rang out. He has yet to also respond to a text message sent to his phone as of the time of this report.
Meanwhile Policemen who responded to the signal on condition of anonymity described the signal as a huge joke from the IGP; noting that it smacks of fire Brigade approach to issues of national importance.
They however, welcome the idea of renovating the almost decrepit Baracks in Lagos State but quickly added that the time frame was wide off the mark.
According to them, “With this signal giving us one month to vacate Barracks, the IGP is calling for an increase in crime in the state because if my job is to secure life and property of people and I have no place to lay my head how do you think I can do that?
We are not against the idea of renovating Barracks in Lagos State because truly, if you visit some of those Baracks, the buildings are disaster waiting to happen. But the question is, what is the palliative put in place for the numerous policemen and women in the state who have just been given on month to vacate their residence in the Barracks? I think the IG is simply courting wahala rather than proffering solution to important issue.”
