#EndSARS Protests: Lagos gives N10m each to families of policemen killed during protest

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday presented a cheque of N10 million each to families of the six police officers lynched in Lagos State in the wake of the violence that trailed the nationwide #EndSARS protests, in fulfillment of his administration’s pledge made during an earlier meeting with police officers.

The governor made the presentation to the wives and children of the slain officers at the 14th Town Hall meeting on security, held at Civic Centre by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), with the theme: “Lagos security: Resilience in the face of adversity.’

The late police officers are Yaro Edward, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP); Inspector Ayodeji Erinfolami; Inspector Aderibigbe Adegbenro; Inspector Samson Ehibor; Sergeant Bejide Abiodun and Inspector Igoche Cornelius.

As part of the promise to the families, Sanwo-Olu also announced scholarship awards to children of the deceased officers up to university level. The governor’s gesture, the beneficiaries said, has not only wiped off their tears, it has also brightened their hope to attain the future their slain breadwinners had envisioned.

Sanwo-Olu described the slain officers as “heroes”, saying the deceased sacrificed their lives to secure lives and properties in the state. He said the compensation was government’s modest reward for their gallantry, pointing out that the gesture would help the families to heal from the loss.

The governor, at the event, received the report of security activities across the state in the last 12 months from the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, expressing his delight at the downward trend observed in sophisticated crimes, such as kidnapping and armed robbery, in the last one year.

Odumosu, in his extensive report, said his men rose to the occasion of effectively combating crimes in Lagos because of constant logistics supplies from the state government.

Giving the breakdown of crimes recorded in Lagos from October 2019 to last September, Odumosu said the command foiled 273 cases of armed robbery and arrested 1,181 robbers in operations. He said 27 robbers were killed in the encounter during the period.

The police boss said the state recorded a sharp decline in kidnapping in the past year, an effort he linked to improved intelligence-driven operations. He, however, said cases of cultism and drug abuse were on the rise, promising to beam his searchlight on these issues.

Executive Secretary, LSSTF, Dr. AbdulRazaq Balogun, observed that there was a decline in donations to the funds in the current year, a factor he linked to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic and establishment of similar trust funds agencies by other states.

He said LSSTF had provided 90 patrol vehicles and six units of outboard engine boats for security operations across the state, in addition to logistics support provided for the personnel.

“There is need to acquire more equipment, particularly crowd control assets. Lagos has always set the pace for other states. We deserve to have a security architecture that can withstand any form of adversity,” he said.