The Agege Local Government and Rapid Respond Squad (RRS) in Lagos State have agreed to set up taskforce to tackle the menace of ‘Awawa’ cult and other criminal activities within Agege neighbourhood.
Alhaji Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, made the disclosure on Thursday during a Security Summit organised by the council.
Egunjobi said that the local government had established a joint taskforce with the RRS to eradicate insecurity challenges in Agege community.
According to him, the joint taskforce will involve the RRS which is the special police squad in Lagos State, Neighborhood Watch and other law enforcement Agencies to curb the security challenges facing the community.
“This is a summit holding to discuss and proffer solutions to the lingering issue of insecurity, particularly cultism pervading the community.
“The nefarious activity of the ‘Awawa’ cult group is no doubt a sad page in the story of our community; it’s causing death, injuries, crippling businesses and impacting negatively on social lives.
“My administration is not in the position to change the narrative given that the control of security architecture does not reside with the council,” he said
The council boss said that though resources were limited, the summit was designed to put heads together as stakeholders and arrive at decisions to navigate the nagging issues.
Egunjobi said that the Agege Youth Deradicalisation Programme was one of the council’s efforts to tackle the menace of the cult group.
According to him, 250 youths are on monthly stipend of N10,000 each,to encourage them to enrol in the council’s vocational centres.
He said that the 30 vocational centres in Agege were established to cater for youth empowerment for self reliance.
The chairman added that the meeting was also channeled toward having a speaking engagement with the 250 youths who were beneficiaries of the deradicalisation programme.
Mr Saheed Egbeyemi, the Commander of RRS in Lagos State, in his remarks said that the government would not take criminality with kid-glove.
Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said that anybody arrested over criminal activities would face the wrath of the law.
He assured the youth of better lives once they determined to be law abiding and engage themselves meaningfully in the society.
“We will no longer condone criminal activities in the community. I was born and brought up in Agege community and there is no story you want to tell me that I haven’t known about the neighborhood.
“I don’t believe in thuggery because there’s no gain in it and don’t allow the social media to push you into crime.
“The council has decided to set up security taskforce within the community to curb the lingering security challenges and we are given it full support as it serve the goal and objectives of curbing insecurity,” he said.
Alhaji Haruna Maikudi, the Arewa Community Leader in Agege, thanked the council for organising such important summit to end insecurity in Agege.
According to him, the Arewa in Agege community would work together to ensure peaceful coexistence in the local government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the security taskforce would include the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigerian Immigration and youths of environment. (NAN)