The Lagos State government is still battling to believe that terrorists have infiltrated the state despite its relentless efforts to ensure the security of lives and properties.
As a result, there is confusion among those in government on the best way to go about this new challenge.
According to top government officials and politicians who spoke with Huhuonline.com on Sunday evening, officials of the state, including security operatives, were caught unawares as the security report that would have assisted the government came very late.
Last Thursday, a combined team of the Lagos State Security Operation MESA‘ the Department of State Security (SSS) and more than 100 soldiers raided a house located at 24 Aromire Street and some other buildings at the Ijora area of the state, arresting a Chadian, Ibrahim Musa, who was discovered to have kept bombs in a sack in a cooler and also inside the ceiling of one of the living rooms.
Musa, an illegal immigrant who rented five rooms alone and was described as not having any known job, was also found to possess several AK-47 rifles, cartridges and daggers. He is believed to be the leader of the group in Lagos.
Two government sources disclosed that Governor of the state, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, had met with top security officials to assure them that they would get the required support to quell the situation and frustrate any invasion of the state.
“It was not like we did not know that the state was no longer as secure as it had been for some time now. But we were not expecting that it would be this quick to begin to know that these terrorists are in our midst,” the source said.
“In situations like this, the government has no choice other than to begin massive enlightenment of the people and make them very security conscious. There are plans to begin programmes to boost the security awareness of the people of the people of the state.
An Action Congress of Nigeria chieftain who did not want his name mentioned blamed the law enforcement agents in the state for not doing enough, noting that had they been performing according to expectation, such dreaded groups have no business coming into the state.
He said he had it on good authority that Governor Fashola had given orders that the entire state should be combed and all illegal aliens are arrested and taken to their country.
“How can you leave your country, come into another man’s land and be thinking of carrying out nefarious activities that would cause anguish and tears?” he said, reiterating the commitment of the state government to the current troubles.
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly who spoke with Huhuonline.com said the discovery that “those who have sold their lives to the devil are currently in Lagos, calls to mind the need for us to up our game.
“We are all scared right now and I can assure you that only God will give us the wisdom that we need to effectively combat this problem.”
On several occasions, the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC)) has warned Boko Haram insurgents should limit their activities to the North if they really want to live in peace.
