By ADEKUNLE WILLIAMS

The Lagos State House of Assembly has honoured the outgoing Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, who is due for retirement in January 2022.

The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, made this known when the Commissioner of Police led a team of officers to the Assembly during plenary in Lagos on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the outgoing commissioner of police was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police.

Obasa said Odumosu was honoured as the first commissioner of police to stand before the lawmakers and address the people of Lagos on his experience and issues with policing Lagos.

The speaker added that this was because he was considered to have effectively managed the security of the state.

Obasa further thanked Odumosu for his openness and responsiveness each time there were issues affecting the peace of the state.

The speaker, thereafter, kicked against the police harassment, intimidation and extortion of residents in the state.

He said: “It is important to call on those behind you to know that the relationship between the police and the people need to be constantly improved upon.”

“This is because men of the Nigeria Police Force need to build more trust among the people and make the latter know they are truly being served.

“Everybody must be treated with respect, dignity and honour and that is how we can earn our respect.

“Policing should not be about harassment and extortion but building trust among the people and making them comfortable.”

Responding, Odumosu said he would remain grateful to the state for making it possible for him and his team to effectively manage the security of the state and making it the most peaceful in the country.

The CP, who described Lagos as a mini-Nigeria, noted that the proactiveness of the Lagos Assembly resulted in the laws that have helped the police remain successful in the state.

Odumosu said the Cultism Prohibition Law has helped to reduce illegal associations in tertiary institutions in the state and also helped with adequate enlightenment of property owners and residents.

“Other laws include the Land Use Charge amendment law which has reduced the activities of land grabbers, the Anti-Open Grazing law, the Neighborhood Safety Corps law.

“This is to ensure synergy among security agencies, the Coronavirus Pandemic Law, which enforcement helped reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“We promise to continue to excel in providing water-tight security for the people of the state,” he told the lawmakers.

The CP also promised that he would encourage his successor to sustain the relationship between the police and the House while urging the lawmakers to extend their support to whoever will take over from him.

In their contributions, the lawmakers commended Odumosu for his success, adding that his experience would always be needed in the state even after his retirement. (NAN)

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