- The Never Say Die Story of Hard-Fighting Lagos Top Cop |
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umaru Manko, has seen many seasons as an officer; the good times and the bad times. He knows how it feels to be down in the valley and up on the mountain top. In this interview with Chief Detective editors, Manko, a Prince of Bida and the first graduate from the ancient town to become a police officer, tells a bitter-sweet story of his life as a passionate officer with the odds stacked against him; how his boss, Mohammed Abubakar, who apparently recognized his unique skills and resourcefulness, gave him the chance to prove his mettle; his dogged determination to make lasting impression as a crime fighter; how he has been rising up to the challenges of bandits in Lagos; going the extra mile to crack difficult cases; giving deadly criminals a bloody nose, and his close shave with death when a notorious armed robber that he had arrested and sent to face justice, found his way back to the street and cornered him on a Lagos road.
For Manko, the secret of success is to be focused, while enjoying the thrill of the fight. It’s the eye of the tiger. Excerpts:
People see Lagos as a tough terrain. What were the initial challenges that you faced and your experiences, so far, as the CP of Nigeria’s socio-economic capital?
However familiar you are with a situation, when you’re faced with new challenges you have to start thinking back on what to do with the new situation. When I was posted here by the present IG, I was in Edo State. He called and asked if I had seen the signal posting me to Lagos. I said no sir. He said, ‘ok, you go to Lagos, I’ve posted you as the Commissioner of Police there’.
Now, I’ve worked here before, between 1991 and 98. I worked in Lagos State. And, at that time, I worked as Divisional Police Officer, Staff Officer, here and there; Area Crime Officer in one of these Area Commands then. I also worked at SCID as O/C General Investigation Department. So, I didn’t know. As I’d worked here before, I thought it was just a question of readjusting, but it was a different ball game, entirely; because, then, we used to wonder: why must CP be in the office by this time, particularly when I was staff officer – senior.
When it’s around 5, 6pm, we start saying, ‘what is this CP still doing in the office? Won’t he close and let us go home’. But, I now realise that the man was not staying long at all, because of the issues. Of course you know the unique nature of Lagos, being the economic nerve centre of the country. You have a lot of economic activities going on here, and anywhere you have that, naturally it attracts crime.
People from my village, for example, will say I want to go to Lagos. I want to go and make a living. He doesn’t know where he is going to. He has never been here before. All these things on a daily basis… What I’m saying is that we don’t have initial challenges, as far as policing Lagos is concerned; because, on a daily basis you’re faced with new challenges and therefore you bring out strategies to meet the new ones as they come.
How well do you think the police in Lagos have been able to tackle major security issues in the state? And what role has community policing played in all these?
If you ask me to answer that, you’re trying technically to ask me to assess myself. And, I hardly do that. I always leave any assessment to people like you to do; because, if I want to do it, I cannot be objective. I’ll be subjective. One thing I want to state clearly is that when you talk about major crimes, everybody knows what major crimes are: Armed robberies, car snatching, and kidnappings. Those ones, we’ve been able to solve them. We’ve put a stop to major armed robbery incidents, major incidents of kidnapping. Of course, I’m over two years now; we have not recorded a single incident of bank robbery. And I think Lagos will sustain that for a very long time, even after my departure because we didn’t just solve the problem at the surface level. We went to the root. What we used to do is that anytime we see anything persisting, we’ll call ourselves together and brainstorm: Why should this thing come up now? If it has been there before, what happened before? Why did it stop? Because, that was how we were able to stop people who were coming to attack ATM at night. When I came in, at a point it became so rampant. I started asking myself questions. Let me bring this thing out. Then, I called the principal officers, the Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners, and I threw it open. Is this how this thing used to be? If not, why is it now? And if that’s how it used to be, how was it stopped? And all of us started giving reasons, and we discovered to our greatest surprise that a mobile policeman, a corporal, was behind the whole thing. That man was arrested after he robbed an ATM and killed the security man there. He was arrested by the police, investigated, and charged to court. He was head of a robbery gang. He was charged for armed robberies and murder at the same time. But how he wangled his way out of court, we don’t know. The man was released on bail. He went back to Asaba and settled there. And he was coming to Lagos at weekends to rob and run away.
When we got that information, I said go back to that prison yard and let’s find out if the man is still there. We got to know he was not there. So, we started trailing him. And we got him in Asaba, brought him here, and we established the fact that after he was released from prison, he went back to his state. Now, through him, we got other gang members who specialise in such crime. That was how we were able to stop that crime.
Of course, the issue of Abiodun Egunjobi is one of those issues. They were looking for him for about 14 years. He was very elusive. We also built on his character and got him arrested. From him, we picked so many other deadly armed robbers here and there, all over the country. In kidnapping, we got one guy called China or something.
By building on his character, you mean following certain nuances. Isn’t it?
Yes. You find out from their colleagues. Anytime we had a big robbery, somebody would come out to name Godogodo. It’s either Godogodo was one of us, or Godogodo led us there; constantly. So, we started building on that. How does he look like? How does he normally get out after operations? How do they contact him, and so on and so forth? Because of that, we were able to build a career profile for him. We now used that to start checking other records. We trailed him from Ajao Estate here to Ikorodu, to Dubai, back to Nigeria; again, to Ikorodu, then to Ibadan, where he was finally picked up.
This has brought us to the challenges of modern day policing. When you are talking about profiling, what is being done presently to help the police keep digital records of criminals?
You see, before this present leadership, nobody gave importance to issues of records of criminals, particularly as it is in the world of technology; but you’ll remember that this Inspector General of Police came in and created a whole department for information technology. He didn’t stop there; he went further to recreate the intelligence gathering of the force.
You have a Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Information Technology. And, we now have professionals being groomed to take responsibilities of certain sections of all these departments. And that has gone a long way to enhance police service delivery; because, from the force headquarters now, we don’t need to go through service providers. If you need information about tracking of a number or something, we have a department where you just send the number and they’ll tell you the exact location of the man having that number, and you’ll just go there and get him.
I think the major problem is that anything, an embodiment of security is capital intensive and therefore if you want security you must pay for it.
The Force has taken some steps with the present Inspector General of Police. If we are to sustain this, we need funding.
What other areas do you think you can come in to ensure sustainability?
I don’t know what name they give to it, but if we borrow from the arrangement in Lagos, the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. From my experience, having worked here, I think that outfit alone has done so much magic to enhancing security of Lagos State. It’s something that you build around people with proven character; people, with unquestionable characters, who have proven themselves in their various endeavours. Those are the kind of people they brought in. People like the retired IG, Musiliu Smith. The present IG and the governor were the people who saw to its birth. It was an idea created by them. And see the thing today.
In the short period I have stayed, I have taken more than 300 vehicles from the state government through that outfit. They brought armoured personnel careers (APC). They came to the aid of the Service. It’s not only the police this time around, other security agencies. You can see all the vehicles being provided by that outfit. I think there should be something of that nature at the National level that will have the responsibility of disbursing that money.
This concept of community policing is what is being practised there. You appeal to citizens to also help in providing logistics for security of their environment. You have an executive secretary who is responsible for the day to day running and all you need to do, at the end of the year – third week of November each year; they have what they call Town Hall Meeting. Every stakeholder would go there. They’ll listen to the address of the Commissioner of Police, giving the report of crime situation in the state. What are the challenges and your successes? You’ll also hear from the executive secretary how the money that was contributed was expended. They’ll bring in external auditors, who will tell them the state of account, and finally the governor will talk of the importance and what he thinks should be the next focus the following year. And there, and then, the floor is open for everybody to come and contribute.
You’ll see some school boys coming to contribute their pocket money. You’ll see banks, corporate organisations; I think there’s every need for that kind of outfit for this country.
What are the gains of intelligence led policing in Lagos, and what difference are the security cameras in the state making in your crime fighting efforts?
The difference is very clear. If we have a state like Lagos, with its unique nature, one will expect that the crime rate should be at its peak, but the reverse is the case. You’ll discover that some of these major crimes have not been recorded in so many years. Most of the things we have achieved are as a result of intelligence networking and CCTV cameras.
Apart from the ones that the Federal Government installed, the state government too has a control room with more cameras. Federal Government recently brought in about 1000 cameras to be located in strategic positions, in conjunction with the police, because we know where these things are needed. The state has added about 2000 more cameras. And that has enhanced our response to distress calls.
In the last one year, however remote, apart from those ones that are completely on the outskirts of Lagos; however remote a place is in Lagos State today, once we have distress calls, within the range of 5 minutes you’ll find more than three, four or five patrol vehicles at a time, and I think that has helped enough to probably deter criminals and give citizens more assurances. Therefore, once they notice anything, they’ll call the control room. We have numbers that can easily be reached – 767 and 112. Once you dial them, they’ll go to control room. And within 5 minutes, you’ll find response by police officers. And I think that has been doing a good job for Lagos State.
You talked about the criminal that was attacking ATM, who was charged to court but found his way out of prison. And there has always been this issue of the Judiciary not complementing police effort; why is it so? And is it any better now?
I think it’s better now. I used that case as a reference point at the State Security Council meeting. And I want to acknowledge here that I have worked in other commands; I was in Benin before I came here. I’ve worked in other state commands, but this is the first time that I’m seeing a governor that is so passionate about the security of the state: Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. I’ve been told that for the period he has served, he never missed Security Council Meetings.
And for the two years that I’ve also had the opportunity of serving here, he has never missed one. It’s always security first; then any other thing can come, because it’s only when you have peace that you have development, and I think that is what has been his driving force.
This is a man that will tell you, despite the fact that he’s a lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; he’ll say look, this one is your field, advice me, or tell me what you think as a professional. So these are the things. When that issue happened; when we were having rampant release of those suspects from court, I brought it up at the Security Council Meeting, and, instantly, the governor picked his phone and called the Chief Judge of the State, who was on vacation somewhere in London.
He told her to come back the following day and meet with me. And the woman came. We met and ironed out grey areas; areas of differences. I’m now more comfortable, because even if the Chief Judge wants to go for prison visits, the list of people she intends to attend to is always sent to the Commissioner of Police, which we now study carefully and see what is their location; what is their position; those that can easily go with that exercise are indicated; those we have reasons not to belief should go, we state our reasons.
So, we are having a wonderful working relationship now with the Judiciary. That time, when I spoke out, so many people bashed me. But, I stood my ground, because that was my conviction.
You spoke briefly about Godogodo, but we will like you to shed more light on the experience of the police; the challenges you faced.
You know Godogodo is his nickname; the trade name. He told me when we arrested him, because, of course he had one eye. He was a one-eyed man. So, he said that he went with members of his gang, stole something and that he was sent to prison for seven years by the police. He was in prison for what he felt was an injustice to him. While in prison, he got associated or acquainted with more deadly armed robbers there. And so, he took his time to understudy them. And when he finally left, he decided that he was going to deal with the police for sending him to prison for seven years because his offence was not serious. So, he wanted to pay back the police for sending him to prison.
But, what he was doing; he took his time to study the psyche of an average policeman. That was what I noticed. And he built on that. And his gang members were then thinking that the man was invincible. That he has magic powers to disappear, and so on. But, no; he didn’t have such powers. He was just smarter than all of them.
One, we were having rampant armed robbery attacks at Lekki axis. But, before then, you remember, on the 9th of September 2012; it was a Sunday; the IG was to commission the first set of vehicles that Lagos State government donated through its security trust fund on Monday 10th. So, that night, early in the morning, a vehicle was snatched and the thing continued to grow; until finally, it became an embarrassing situation. Some people were killed; innocent civilians killed; some policemen too lost their lives, because these people, after attacking operators at a Bureau de Change, were trying to find a way of escaping. And we were always blocking them here and there; so the thing became so violent. So many people died, and the IG was not happy with us.
After the IG left, I called in all the Principal Officers saying: This incident that happened yesterday, I don’t think it’s a credit to us. The Inspector General of Police coming to commission vehicles donated through tax payers money; and those group of people, we were supposed to use these vehicles to fight, had a field day and we couldn’t do anything. So, we took it as a challenge. That was one.
Not quite long again, there was an incident at the International Airport, where two police inspectors were killed. But in all these, we were having this name of Abiodun coming up regularly. We now say well, if that’s the case, one of the ways to solve this problem is to first identify who Abiodun is. Because, then, nobody knew how he looked like. We didn’t know him. Nobody had anything on him. And if we’re now able to know how he looks like, we’ll then work towards getting him.
Within a very short period, there was another attack on a First Bank branch in Kwara State. And the way they operated there had some semblance with what happened here that Sunday. So, I sent a message to the police in Kwara, to say they should find out if the Bank has a CCTV. They said yes, adding that one of them was guarding the CCTV, and by the time they finished, they blew it up. But, I said well, whatever was recorded let them give us.
So, they gave us the footage and we started using that. That was the starting point. Now, from that footage, we were able to arrest one person, who then identified himself in that footage, and said look! That’s me.
We asked him: Where is Godogodo? He said, ‘He was among us, but how he didn’t appear here we don’t know. We said okay, good. It was that one we now used. And we started picking them up one by one, recovering arms here and there. And what he did was that anytime he struck and get money, he would start constructing another house somewhere. So that by the time the heat is getting too much for him where he lives, he would just move his family to a new house. One thing led to the other and we were able to locate one of his houses in Ikorodu. But, by the time we got there, he has moved.
From there, we had a reference point. We started asking questions. Some of these questions cannot be disclosed publicly. So, we got another house of his. We went there. They said he had a fish farm somewhere. That he had moved to that fish farm. And we saw 52 fish ponds with workers, but Godogodo was nowhere to be found.
It was from there we found that he had moved to Dubai. I didn’t get that. One, my feelings then was that: Ha! This Inspector General of Police who just picked me from nowhere, I shouldn’t be the one that will disappoint him. So, I was determined that whoever this boy is, I would unveil it.
By the time we got to Dubai, we saw their record that he had checked out. He moved out of that place the previous night, which means he had somebody monitoring the police too.
He indicated coming to Nigeria, so we went to the Airport here waiting. We didn’t know that he went to Ethiopia, and came into Abuja from there. Then, he disappeared again. But, we continued like that. This boy called Kyari; this OC SARS, Abba Kyari, is one young man with lots of patience. We were building up like that, like that… until we were able to find somebody who knew the family. And that person said the only thing she knew was that he had moved to Ibadan; but where in Ibadan, she couldn’t tell. So, we continued like that. And we were able to get another relation, who took us to where he lives. And we then mounted surveillance around that house for 14 days, before we finally struck and got him, because most of his colleagues that we were arresting would tell you that the man had the power to disappear; that he had lots of juju and could disappear.
He also told them that anytime it becomes clear that he was going to be arrested, that the police would pick his dead body. And before they kill him, he would kill as many as he could. So, we were very conscious of that warning.
Most of his principal partners were picked up in the course of investigation. He didn’t know how we were doing that.
How long did the whole operation take?
It took us about seven months before we finally got him that early morning. Even, on that day, you know when we have identified the house, we said okay, let’s see the day we decided to go and strike. The police were there for more than 11 hours. We didn’t go in, and nobody came out of the place; but we continued to reassure ourselves, looking into the features of what and what. So, one thing led to another. He came out, and then…
To prove the point of his colleagues, we recovered AK 47 rifles in his kitchen, his bedroom, toilets, everywhere. And each rifle had double magazines attached to it; which means that in each rifle, he had about 60 rounds of live ammunition. And that was it.
They brought him here. Even though he was injured then, we took him to hospital. He was treated, and when he came back he started telling us that it was not that he had charms, but he knew that when you open fire towards a normal policeman from far away they would run away, that it’s only the SARS people that he fears; that he doesn’t take any other thing apart from raw cash, and he only goes to where he would have enough cash to carry.
He doesn’t have bank account. He said that any money he made was invested in buildings immediately, here and there. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t go to parties. He said that he had no girlfriends; that it’s when you have all these things that people could easily reach you. And that before we arrested him, he had more than 52 SIM cards; that anytime he wanted to contact somebody he would just put one, call the person; and when he finished talking to him, he would remove that one and keep; that is why he was difficult to reach; that he was not driving very big vehicles, because the police could stop and ask him where he works, and he would have nothing to say, and they would start suspecting him; that anytime he was injured in the course of operation he would not treat himself in Nigeria, but cross the border, go and treat himself and come back.
I asked why, and he said if you go to Nigerian hospital, they’ll mix something for you in the course of treating you; sleep will just catch you, and by the time you wake up you’ll see handcuffs on you.
He said he was injured in one eye by policemen during a shootout. He showed me other injuries. He said all those precautions made it impossible for the police to get him for so long.
How many policemen did he kill?
During my own time, he killed eight policemen around Lekki axis; but, he said that he had killed more than 50. Most of the rifles recovered from him and members of his gang were more than 60 AK47 rifles.
There was a time in Lagos when most arrested armed robbers were found to have links with the military. What’s going on?
That was there; but you know in the course of fighting violent crimes, we also came across one gunrunner, who was bringing in those rifles. AK47 was being sold for N450, 000. And they were importing them. The man was bringing in the rifles and selling to men of the underworld. And we got a link to the man, and we deposited money for two rifles, and they brought them. That was how we got him. One chap from Owerri; he was bringing the rifles from Benin Republic. He said he had somebody in Benin Republic, who was getting those rifles for him from Burkina Faso.
And they’ll pass through the borders between Nigeria and Benin Republic from Kebbi State. And they bring them in, in the goods. And those ones that are found not very good, they’ll put them in sacks of onions going out. We paraded one of them. We paid money into his account and that’s how we got him.
How and why did you join the police? Was there any attempt by family members to stop you?
The attempt was not there because those who could stop me, I didn’t tell them. For example, I didn’t tell my mother that I was going to join the police. But, I was encouraged by the late Etsu Nupe, Usman Sanda Ndayako. When I told him, he said you can go.
After I graduated, I was posted to Lagos State for the national service. They sent me to Alagbon close then. I was attached to one Chris Ogbuji, who was the PPRO for Alagbon Close then. There was one Assistant Commissioner of Police. He retired as AIG; Alhaji Dabo Aliyu, former Military Administrator of Yobe State. He was the first person that drew my attention to the fact that if I decide to join the police, I could make a very good career.
Luckily too, that coincided with the period when the Inspector General of Police then, Etim Inyang, was having discussions with the Etsu Nupe, where I was told that he said our people don’t join the police. And actually, there in my locality, particularly if you’re a graduate, people will be looking at you, and say: ‘Why do you want to go and join the police when you have other jobs to do?’ You can go and work as an administrative officer, and one day become a Permanent Secretary. But, Dabo Aliyu actually encouraged me a lot.
But then, you know I come from a royal family, and in those days issues of native authority police chiefs always resided in the royal home. I had somebody I could refer to as elder brother, who was once the Chief of Native Authority Police. And we used to admire his uniform. So, I think all these things combined made some influence; and having put into consideration the fact that I thought I could make a difference, because if I had that background like the one I just explained and I now decided to be part of the system, I was thinking that people would look at me as a reference point and encourage other ones to come in. And to God be the glory, I think I’ve been able to achieve that, because I’m the first graduate from Bida, a native of Bida, the first graduate to become a policeman. And we have many of them now.
Can you recall some of the most shocking moments in your career as an officer?
You see there’s no way; naturally as human beings, this life is full of ups and downs. There was a period I was almost getting frustrated, because I couldn’t be promoted, based on certain issues I wouldn’t want to bring up again. But there was a period I was so stagnated that the thing was taking much of my human part, but again I have to thank this Inspector General of Police, because any time we met then, he would say take things easy, they’ll change for the better.
And I want to thank him, because it was the words of encouragement that kept me afloat. And God has been merciful. Here I am.
At a point, after the robbery operation that took place when IG was in town, myself and DC Ops were monitoring movements of armed robbers, so that we don’t carry IG to go and join… To tell you how embarrassing the situation was. I think that brought back the spirit of going all out to fight crime into me; that I was not thinking of any other thing apart from fighting crime.
Can you recall any other shocking moment as a crime fighter?
I was, in 1994, the DPO in charge of Ojo Police Station, by Alaba. An incident happened there and we started looking for the perpetrators of that robbery. Naturally, I hardly underrate any person. So, one morning I was in the office; if you know Ojo Police Station, the DPO’s office is just by the counter. So, I heard one loud noise from a woman, and I came out. And it was one young girl that was quarrelling with the police for calling her a prostitute. So, I pacified her, and took her to my office, telling her ‘look, you’re not a prostitute. How can a fine girl like you be a prostitute?
What she reported was that somebody collected her N3000 then, and when she wanted to collect the money from the man who owed her, he started calling her names. I gave her the N3000, and said go. Now, one day, we were in the office, the girl came and said: ‘Oga I want to see you o! I don’t want anybody to enter here.’
She then told me that there was a man the police were looking for; they call him Ocean Blue.
‘I think you’re looking for him.’
I said yes.
She said the man na my boyfriend; he dey my room now. He don drink. He don shack. Sleep don catch am. Go carry am from there.
So, we went there, arrested him. And as usual, we were asked to send him to the headquarters, to SARS of that time. We did that.
Around 1997, I had forgotten about this matter. I was O/C General Investigation Department here in Lagos, and one early morning, I left GRA Ikeja for Festac, and I was driving myself. Along the way, I saw policemen on duty that early morning harassing one woman, so I parked. I came out of my car and started asking questions from the policemen; why they were doing what they were doing.
Then, another motor came, a bus; drove past us and parked. And the driver now came down. By the time I finished with the policemen and was going back to my car, this man came to me.
He said, ‘I’m sure na you be Oga Manko.’ He said, ‘Oga! You no know me again?’
I said no. Who are you? Good morning. How are you?
He said, ‘Ha! Na me be Ocean Blue now.’ That one you arrested that time in Ojo. He said, ‘Even that my motor that you seized then; see am there.’
That was somebody we got with arms, and who was allegedly supplying robbers with arms at that time; and he was living in Ojo Cantonment. When he mentioned that name, Ocean Blue, it was as if something like sword just hit me in the head. I said what! I quickly greeted him and moved towards my car.
I said what do you do now? He said he was a spare parts dealer. He gave me his card. I quickly entered my car, reversed and returned home. I went straight into my room, to hide, and continue to thank God.
You see, ordinarily, something would have happened; because I didn’t know him again, if not because he mentioned the name.
It was the name Ocean Blue that rang a bell. Even, the card he gave me was bearing Ocean Blue Investment. It was a shocking experience.
Now on Lagos State finally, let’s talk about the challenges that cultists have been posing around Jibowu, and recently the fear of terrorists was in the air in Lagos. Was there any basis for the fear?
I think the issue of cultists or street gang fights was raised when members of our State House of Assembly called me. And my answer was that these street gang fighters are no spirits. They’re known to us. They were created by certain situations. They were encouraged by some people. That was what I told the Assembly. If you want to put a stop to that, all you needed to do is to go back home and say look: Most of you are doing these things, don’t do them again, and the thing would stop. You see; if you manufacture something and you allow that thing to outgrow you; that you now become the servant… That is as far as the street gang fights are.
For the cultists: In those days, people will say cultism was in the universities alone; but then you have them in the garages now. You have them in the Primary and Secondary Schools.
And, it’s only very reasonable citizens. And, as I always appeal to the citizens of Lagos, these people should not be hidden. Wherever they are; expose them, because these were the two groups responsible for the carnage in Mushin and Bariga axis. But again, I have resolved with my colleagues here that anybody who decides to carry gun is a criminal and we’ll treat him just like that. And that approach has brought sanity. Now, you hardly hear about all these street fights or gang fights again, or these people killing those people again, including members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. I have told them that if you carry gun, you’re a criminal and I’ll treat you like a criminal that carries gun; because if you say I’m a member of NURTW and I have gun, how do I know where you operate this your gun.
So, as far as I’m concerned, there’s no other name for such people but criminals. And they must be treated as such; because of that approach we’ve been able to bring sanity to Mushin and Bariga axis.
Now, the second issue you raise. People will sit down and imagine. Of recent, we have had three or four issues like that. One, they said Boko Haram people were coming to invade Lagos through Ibadan Expressway; that they were already on their way heading here. I said okay. We went to my own boundary with Ogun State and took responsibility from there. The DC operations and I drove down to Ibadan and came back, and we didn’t see anybody. The only thing we found later was that truck carrying wheat had accident near a village, and the villagers came; they wanted to steal from there. A police team went there, and one of them shot in the air when they were about to be overwhelmed. And that now became a rumour that Boko Haram was coming to invade Lagos.
Another one, when they said they were coming to attack Sheraton Hotel; they said they got the information from the United States Embassy. That one went through. We took charge; went round; nothing.
Another one again, one early morning, somebody posted things on social media that school children were abducted in Mushin, and that caused another panic. Parents were going there to pick their children. The thing was all over the place. We went to that school, and we met the school in session. The principal said parents had been coming to pick their children and were surprised. I said well.
The one we heard last was that somebody saw a polythene bag containing an object. The next thing they say was that it was dynamite. It was around Ebute Ero, where you have this container terminal.
We moved in the anti-bomb squad and it was discovered that they have a name for it; that they use it to seal leaking containers. But people had said it was bomb. And before you know it, the whole place was crowded.
But, I was very happy about this because it indicates the fact that people are now more conscious of their environment. Assuming it was real bomb, that’s how we would have detected it. I think I appreciated that and thank those who raised the alarm. That this is what we have been saying: When you see an object that you’re not familiar with, call the police (767, 112).
For now, we are grateful to Almighty God that Lagos is very safe.
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