Group Petitions Tinubu, Seeks Probe of Alleged Police Abuses in Lagos

Funmi Ogundare

The Renewal Group (TRG), a non-aligned political pressure organisation, yesterday, called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately constitute a panel of inquiry into the activities of the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Moshood Jimoh, over allegations of misconduct and declining policing standards in the state.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Convener of the group, Lai Omotola, explained the move had become necessary to establish facts and figures amid growing public concern.

He alleged that policing in Lagos under Jimoh had gradually turned into an embarrassment and a nightmare, adding that the group had already written to the president requesting an independent probe.

“This is not the time for media rants. It is time to establish the truth. We are presenting evidence to back our claims and calling for a proper investigation,” he said.

He noted that although some critics had dismissed the group’s earlier petition as spurious, TRG was prepared to provide multiple instances of alleged abuse, beginning with a recent viral video involving operatives of the Lagos State Task Force.

According to him, “ the enforcement approach seen in the video was unnecessary, particularly in a state like Lagos where technology-driven traffic monitoring systems already exist.”

He argued that agencies such as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were better suited for traffic enforcement, rather than task force officials whose mandate is limited to environmental offences.

The convener also criticised what he described as a decline in environmental management, noting the reintroduction of monthly sanitation exercises as evidence that the task force had failed in its core responsibilities.

Speaking more broadly, he traced the challenges facing the Nigerian police to historical and political factors, arguing that the force was deliberately weakened during military rule through poor funding and limited operational capacity.

He recalled reform efforts under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, including the rebranding of the Nigeria Police Force to the Nigeria Police in a bid to make it more citizen-friendly.

Despite such reforms, he said the police institution had continued to deteriorate due to what he described as political interference, particularly during electoral periods when, according to him, unpopular politicians rely on compromised policing structures.

Omotola stressed that effective policing is central to national development, noting that “no nation can develop in the absence of law and order, the strength of a country’s police system often reflects its level of development.”

He further underscored the strategic importance of Lagos as Africa’s commercial hub, with a population estimated at over 22 million, saying developments in the state often set the pace for the rest of the country.

“Lagos is called the Centre of Excellence and must live up to that name as a city of law, order, sanity and splendour. What happens here resonates across Nigeria,” Omotola stated.

He, however, warned that failure to urgently address the concerns raised could erode public trust and worsen dissatisfaction among residents, insisting that only a transparent investigation would restore confidence in policing in the state.

He reiterated the group demand for a presidential panel of inquiry, maintaining that accountability and reform were critical to restoring the integrity of the police and safeguarding Lagos’ status as a model for governance and development.

“Lagos is too strategic to allow impunity to thrive. If this level of lawlessness is tolerated here, one can only imagine the implications for other states,” he said.