The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Olorundare Jimoh, has claimed that the response time of the state’s police force to crimes, including robbery and public order offences, has dropped to an impressive five minutes.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, Jimoh said the Lagos Police Command has stepped up its surveillance and rapid response capacity, assuring residents that the state remains safe under his watch.
“Our response time to crime is less than 10 minutes. We have even reduced it further to five minutes. Once you call us, under five minutes, we are there,” the CP said confidently.
Jimoh emphasized that the majority of violent crimes in Lagos are proactively prevented, with undetected ones quickly solved to serve as a warning to potential offenders.
“For those crimes that couldn’t be detected, there is prompt detection to serve as deterrence. If you know you’ll be caught immediately, you’ll think twice before committing a crime.”
Despite growing national calls for state policing, CP Jimoh maintained that it is not the answer to Nigeria’s security challenges. Instead, he argued, the solution lies in proper funding of the Nigeria Police Force.
“There is no doubt that state police is not the answer to our problem. Proper police funding, which the Federal Government has now taken seriously, is the way forward,” he said.
Jimoh also pointed to successful unitary policing systems in other parts of the world, insisting that advocates of state police often overlook these functioning models.
The Commissioner revealed that traffic robbery in Lagos—previously a major menace—has been effectively eradicated under his leadership. He attributed this achievement to improved police conduct and increased deployment.
“Our men’s behaviour has changed. We’ve been able to take out traffic robbery completely.”
As Lagos prepares for its July 12, 2025 local government elections, Jimoh said any restriction of movement will depend on the decision of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). However, he assured that the police would be ready to enforce moderate restrictions if security threats arise.
“We won’t shut down the entire state. We’ll ensure enough personnel are deployed to police every area.”
More Stories
“I’m Awaiting FG Approval to Flush Out Criminals in South-West” — Sunday Igboho Reacts to Oyo School Abduction
“Bandits Killed Three of Our Men During Rescue Attempt” — Hunters Beg Governor Makinde For Help
“Police Cannot Handle This Alone” — Ogbomosho Traditional Rulers Seek Military Presence After School Abduction