During the Law Enforcement Training Institute 2022 passing out procession conducted at the Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre, in Magodo, the governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, offered this advice.

“This administration is irrevocably dedicated to maintaining the principles of the rule of law and will not tolerate any sort of harassment, arbitrary action, or extortion from any of its law enforcement agents,” he declared.

“We’ll keep bolstering the capabilities of our law enforcement personnel with the tools and gear that will increase their effectiveness and efficiency while also encouraging accountability and openness. The Neighborhood Safety Corp., Vehicle Inspection Service, Kick Against Indiscipline, and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority were among the 8,316 law enforcement officers trained.

The Chief Executive Officer of LETI, Mrs. Abiola Adeyinka, highlighted that the police received training in emotional intelligence and gender-based violence over the course of three months.

“This training included team building, emotional intelligence, gender-based violence, emergency response training, and review of law enforcement agencies laws, among others, while the remaining one day was used in physical training on agility, obstacle crossing, parade/drills and so on,” she said.

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On Wednesday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu virtually showcased the other two fire stations erected in Oniru and Ajegunle while physically commissioning the new fire station in Ebute Elefun.

The initiatives were started to speed up emergency response to fire-related disasters and to strengthen the State’s emergency management system.

On that same day, the Governor officially opened the renovated Alausa Fire Department headquarters. Lagos currently has 21 fully equipped fire stations spread all across the State thanks to the three extra assets.

The facility expansion proposal was one of the suggestions made after the Lagos State Government’s 2020 comprehensive assessment of the emergency response department with the goal of improving performance.

According to Sanwo-Olu, one of the issues was that there weren’t enough fire stations to effectively control fire outbreaks at a scale that would allow for quicker reaction times.

The governor said that his administration’s response to the discovered deficiencies in emergency services was proactive and deliberate in order to create a workable road plan to resolve constraints and reposition the emergency agencies for peak performance.

He said: “Today’s handing over of three newly constructed fire stations at Ebute Elefun, Oniru, Ajegunle and the newly upgraded Fire Service Headquarters in Alausa to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service Agency is the fulfillment of our administration’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of our citizens.”

“We believe response time to fire disasters is critical as it can make a lot of difference between life and death. The earlier the fire is attacked, the lesser the damage it will have on people and property. To enable fire responders to reduce the distance and overcome other unplanned encumbrances on the way to fire scenes, the idea of having at least one fire station in each of the 20 Local Government Areas of the State was conceived.”

“Lagos requires protection through deliberate disaster mitigation and emergency management strategies that are realistic and comprehensive. We are convinced that the construction of new fire stations will allow quicker response to the scene of emergencies within their specific area of coverage, as we believe the proximity of fire stations to incident locations is crucial to rescue and safety operations. With the new facilities, firemen will get to the theatre of operations at record time.”

The additional stations, according to Sanwo-Olu, are an investment by the State in the security and well-being of citizens and companies. He said that the resources will significantly lower the losses brought on by fire breakouts and lessen the inconvenience experienced by locals.

The Governor announced that his administration would build three additional fire stations in Ijede, Kosofe, and Ijegun before the end of the second quarter of 2019.

He said that the existing fire stations had been upgraded and renovated in order to strengthen the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service Agency’s status as the nation’s top organization for fighting fires. Sanwo-Olu urged the locals living close to the new fire stations to take responsibility for the property and guard it against damage.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mobolaji Ogunlende, said the facility expansion was part of the plans to strengthen security in Lagos.

He said the new stations were designed to have their dedicated sources of power and water supply, with modern facilities for the convenience of firefighters deployed to man the stations.

“With these investments the Sanwo-Olu administration has made in this sector, I am confident that Lagosians would have a new experience in fire and rescue operations,” Ogunlende said.

Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, stated that the new equipment would increase the agency’s capacity for emergency operations. She also noted that the Ebute Elefun station would provide service to more than 20,000 people living on the high-rise-dotted Lagos Island.

The newly renovated Fire Department headquarters in Alausa, according to Nike Adekanbi, General Manager of Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA), is “an edifice constructed to last.” She also noted that the building was expanded to increase the agency’s administrative capabilities.

She claimed that the Sanwo-Olu administration renovated 14 fire stations, resulting in the creation of nearly 600 employment.

The Lagos State Public Works department built the new administration building for the Lagos Fire Service, which currently contains 60 offices, an expanded appliance bay, landscaping, a surrounding fence, and a developed road system.

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The Governor said the State would always identify with the heroism and gallantry of servicemen who gave their all to the service of the country, promising the State Government won’t relent in supporting family members of ex-service personnel who died fighting for Nigeria unity.

Sanwo-Olu spoke at the launch of the emblem for 2021 Armed Forces Remembrance Day and Appeal Fund held on Tuesday at the State House, Marina. The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the State chapter of Nigerian Legion.

The main event for Armed Forces Remembrance is held every January 15, during which military and paramilitary parades are held to commemorate the gallantry of servicemen and ex-personnel.

Sanwo-Olu, who is the patron of the Legion, said the State Government would be supporting the Legion to assist in the welfare of ex-service personnel that became physically challenged in line of duty, while also pledging assistance to Lagos-based relatives of soldiers who died in service.

The Governor said: “As a Government, we will continue to modestly support the welfare of our heroes and identify with your cause. We will continue to ensure that we bring succour and relief to the gallant officers that have served this country at one point in time or the other.

“The ex-servicemen who have now grown to become old soldiers have served the country at the prime age. The least we can do as a State is to continue to celebrate these brave men and women who made sacrifice for our country’s unity. Through the Legion, we will assist in the welfare of those inflicted with disabilities, also ensuring the families of fallen heroes are not forgotten. This is the reason the State generously donate to the Appeal Fund.”

The Governor promised to strengthen its engagement with the Legion and improve their operational efficiency, by donating more patrol vehicles and provide logistical support to the group of ex-servicemen. He said the State would augment budgetary allocation to the Legion.

In demonstration of his generosity to the Legion, Sanwo-Olu launched the emblem and Appeal Fund with N5 million, while promising more donations.

Commissioner for Home Affairs, Hon. Anofi Elegushi, said the launching was one of the important pre-event activities lined up for the marking of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

He disclosed that there would be a special Jumu’ah service on Friday at the Secretariat Central Mosque and interdenominational church service on Sunday at Chapel of Christ the Light in Alausa to commemorate the day.

Deputy Commandant General of the Nigerian Legion in Lagos, who doubles as chairman of the State chapter, Colonel Fola Akande, said the launch of the Appeal Fund by the Governor would put smiles on the faces of over 2,000 beneficiaries of the Legion’s yearly empowerment programmes, stressing that the Legion usually reached out to widows of ex-servicemen, disabled soldiers and orphans.

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The train had earlier collided with a white Ford Ecoline 250 bus with number plate, GGE 972 GE, at the PWD area.

The train, while pulling the Ford vehicle, got to the Army Shopping Arena, where Ngobidi parked his Toyota Highlander on the rail tracks.

It was gathered that the Anambra State indigene, a trader at the Arena, was waiting for the gate of the shopping mall to open when he saw the approaching train.

Our correspondents learnt that Ngobidi raced to the vehicle to rescue his son, who was sleeping in the vehicle, but was crushed to death by the train.

However, one of our correspondents, during a visit to the scene of the incident and the shop of the deceased, observed that many stalls around the deceased’s shop were locked.

NgobidiA witness, Hezekiah Adekanmi, said, “The man parked on the rail track while he was waiting for the Arena gate to be opened. While the train was coming with a bus that it had earlier hit, it started honking. But the man, who was not in the car, remembered that his son was inside the vehicle and he ran to rescue him.

“Before he could come out of the vehicle, they were hit by the train and pushed inside a gutter. The man died immediately, while his son was injured. The train still dragged the bus to the Oshodi under bridge before it stopped.”

One of the shop owners around Ngobidi’s shop, Efechukwu Udeh, who described the deceased as a nice man, lamented that he would be sorely missed.

He said, “Christopher (Ngobidi) was my neighbour in this market and he was nice to everybody. The man attempted to rescue his son who was sleeping inside the vehicle when the train crushed him, while his son was injured. The boy is unconscious at the hospital. Christopher’s wife called me this morning to ask after the husband, but I had to lie to her that he had not got to the market yet because I don’t know what to tell her.”

The Head of Public Affairs of LASEMA, Nosa Okunbor, said the agency received a distress call to the scene around 8am.

He said, “Upon arrival at the scene, it was discovered that a white bus, with number plate GGE 972 GE, veered onto the rail tracks while crossing the railway line at the PWD inward Oshodi and subsequently collided with a scheduled commuter train.

“The bus was dragged along by the train for a stretch of the journey before managing to come to a complete halt at the Oshodi under bridge.

“It was also gathered that while the train was pulling the bus, it crashed into a stationary Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle, with the number plate FST 763 FL. The driver of the SUV lost his life during the incident, while his son, who was with him in the SUV was taken to One Life private hospital, opposite the Arena, Bolade, Oshodi.”

However, the Lagos State Police Command claimed that three persons sustained injuries in the incident.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Monday, said the matter had been referred to the Railway Police Command for investigation.

He said, “Around 07.45am, there was an accident involving a moving train and two vehicles crossing the rail tracks at Arena Plaza, Oshodi. Three people sustained varying degrees of injury and were taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.”

Meanwhile, the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who visited the scene, sympathised with the families of the victims.

Sanwo-Olu said, “This incident is regrettable because it happened on the day all stakeholders reached a consensus to close down the gates into the shopping arena. And this is part of the concerns we have been raising about commuters’ safety on this axis. We need to act fast. This fatal accident should strengthen our resolve to do the needful and prevent a repeat of the sad incident in the future.

“It is also a clarion call on our people to be safety conscious whenever they need to drive across rail tracks. If there is slow movement of vehicles at any railway bypass, then there is the need to keep a safe distance from the rail tracks.”

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Speaking during a press conference jointly addressed by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Engr. Olukayode Popoola; Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde and Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, on Tuesday at Alausa in Ikeja, they assured Lagosians that necessary measures would be put in place to reduce gridlocks during partial closure of the bridge.

Engr. Popoola said there would be diversion of traffic in two phases during the partial closure of the bridge between Friday July 24, 2020 and January 24, 2021.

He said the Phase One of the diversion, which will last for three months for repairs of the Oworonsoki bound lane of the Third Mainland Bridge, would be for morning traffic from 12:00am to 1:00pm from Oworonshoki to Lagos Island on the Lagos Island bound lane, while the afternoon traffic from 1:00pm to 12:00am would be from Lagos Island to Oworonsoki on the Lagos Island bound lane.

Engr. Popoola said the Phase Two of the diversion, which would last also for three months for repairs of the Lagos Island bound lane of the Third Mainland Bridge, would be for morning traffic from 12:00am to 1:00pm from Oworonsoki to Lagos Island on the Oworonsoki bound lane, while the afternoon traffic from 1:00pm to 12:00am would be from Lagos Island to Oworonsoki on the Oworonsoki bound lane.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos while speaking on the inconveniences the maintenance of the bridge might cause motorists said the Federal Government and Lagos State Government will work with appropriate agencies for traffic control to direct and help traffic movement in the affected areas and alternative routes.

“Motorists are advised to also ply these alternative routes: First, from Carter Bridge through Iddo through Oyingbo to join Adekunle ramp inward Oworonsoki. Secondly, from Ijora Olopa through Western Avenue to Ikorodu Road.”

The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Oladeinde said priority will be given to those driving from Mainland to the Island in morning and afternoon to use the Third Mainland while those driving against traffic will use the alternative routes.

Dr. Oladeinde assured motorists that Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will work with Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in all the alternative routes to ensure that motorists have a smooth journey during the partial closure of the bridge.

The commissioner while stressing the need for reduction of vehicles on the road during the partial closure of the bridge advised that those who don’t have any genuine reason to be on the road to stay at home.

He said there would be increase in number of public vehicles for people to leave there vehicles at home to make the road less congested, adding that the public vehicles would be available and affordable for road users.

He said: “If you don’t have to travel, I will advice that you stay at home so that we can minimise the number of vehicles on the road. If you can work at home, please do. But if you can’t, we will ensure will be on the road for you to get to your destination as quickly as possible,”

Dr. Oladeinde also advised people of Lagos State to use alternative transport such as ferries. He said there will be increase in number of fleets by the Lagos Ferry Services in the morning for people from Ikorodu and Mile 2 as alternative transportation.

Also speaking, Engr. Adeyoye appreciated the Federal Government for bringing the repair of Third Mainland Bridge on board.

She said Lagos State Government has commenced necessary preparatory works on all the alternative routes in the state to make them motorable for the commuters.

Adeyoye said the state will do its best within two works to work on all the roads that may likely cause gridlocks to be free of potholes. She also warned trucks and vehicles that are not road worthy or serviceable to stay away from Lagos roads.

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