FESTAC RESIDENTS CALLS FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OF AMUWO ODOFIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMAN

Laba Kevwe

Few days after the police hierarchy pronounced move to sanction states and local government security outfits for allegedly abusing their privileges and usurping the functions of the police, group under the aegis of FESTAC Residents for Sanity (FRS) has raised the alarm over the excesses of security outfit of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area (LGA).
The group is also calling for the impeachment of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Chairman, Comrade Adewale Ayodele for abuse of power and executing orders that are out of his constitutional zones.
The group who made the appeal in a statement signed by its Chairman, Chief Olaitan Ogunsanya and Secretary Comrade Harry Ogbuefi  called on the Federal Government and Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to investigate the nefarious activities of Amuwo-Odofin vigilant groups made up of Man’O War and Civil Defence Corps who are found of harassing residents of FESTAC Community and motorist plying Lagos-Badagry expressway.
They alleged that the council vigilante groups kitted in mobile police uniform are found of harassing residents of FESTAC by framing allegations against unsuspected residents thereby extorting money from them as bride, adding that failure to succumb to their threats see such person beating and lock up in a cell within the council’s premises.
“Actions of the council security outfits are becoming unbearable. They are kitted in mobile police uniform so that we cannot differentiate them from police. They execute arrest at will and very corrupt. If you commit a traffic offence its either you pay what they demand for as bribe or they use knife to puncture your tyres. As from 10.00 pm they arrest anyone they see outside and frame allegation on the person. Such person can only be set free after departing with money.
“Their activities are worst at the Lagos-Badagry expressway where they have taking over control of traffic from the police. They are not controlling traffic in order to create sanity on the highway, rather they do it in order to extort money from offending drivers. They collect tolls from heavy duty vehicles and any vehicle carrying goods going or coming from the border town of Seme”, the statement disclosed, adding that the activities of the council security outfit is not to create comfort for the residents, but to make money for themselves because they are not paid salaries by the council authority.
The group blamed Amu-Odofin Local Government Chairman, Comrade Adewale Ayodele for creating such an illegal and hostile security outfits whose aim is to harass residents of Amuwo-Odofin and motorists plying Lagos-Badagry expressway in order to extort them.
“As an activist, we thought he would brought succor to the resident of FESTAC community when he comes on board , rather the reverse is the case as we are being hunted by his militarized men without his doing anything about resolving our problem despite numerous complains and petitions. Consequently, we are calling on Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and members of Lagos State House of Assembly to come to our rescue by banishing the security outfits and as well as sack the local government chairman,” the petition read.
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Police authorities according to publication in some of the media is planning to clampdown on ad hoc security formations put in place by some state and local governments, citing the excesses of the security outfits and the danger they pose to the public as an example.
The trend, which security sources described as alarming and dangerous, had degenerated to the extent that these private guards had assumed the functions and responsibilities of the police in some of these states.
Investigations conducted by the media revealed that there were no less than 20 of such organisations in the country that had usurped the functions of the police. The police, it was said, were worried that many of these organisations did not get approval for their operations.
The source revealed that the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, recently sent signals to all zonal Assistant Inspectors General and state commands’ Commissioners of Police to clamp down on such illegal organisations usurping the functions of the police.
It was also gathered that in some states, members of such organisations assumed the functions of controlling the traffic and arresting vehicles.