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The Lagos State Government yesterday faulted a terror alert by the United States Government on the plans by terrorists to bomb the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Ikeja. The state government also said the terror alert, which was released to the public, defied diplomatic principle and practice, noting that such a public warning could create panic among residents of the state.
The state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), expressed displeasure at the US terror alert at the Lagos House, Ikeja while handing over 100 patrol vans, 50 motorcycles, one towing van and five Black Maria to the state Police Command yesterday.
He said the terror alert was wrongly channelled and capable of creating panic and confusion in the country, saying the US should have followed due diplomatic process by sharing such privileged information with the home government rather than making it public.
Fashola said if the information credited “to the US on impending terrorist bombing of Sheraton was true, then it raises more questions. We need to first ask: was that a US government’s release? If it is, it raises a new dimension into the obligation of nations and governments around the world to ensure peace and cooperation among one another.
“There is a fundamental freedom that seems to have gone out of our daily discourse which is the freedom for fear. This was a freedom that was recognised in 1948 when the declaration of rights was being adopted as a global publication,” he said.
He said the US statement violated conventional global obligation, noting that there “are channels of communication that information of that type can be shared without creating panic.
“I think that citizens of all nationals can be protected without throwing a cat among pigeon. At local level, I have received information before that a particular commercial bank was about to be robbed. I did not go out and announce to the public that such act will be committed in the state.
“All I did was that I called the security officials and what we did was to sleep inside the bank. The robbers came at night, and we apprehended them without the public idea except the bank manager who was aware on why we visited the bank and our mission. I think that is the way people must act.
“I will hope that we are more circumspect in the way we share information and that our intentions are noble. This is very important. At this time, what the country needs is more information in the right hands, to the right places.
“This will assist our agencies and government to overcome this difficult period and not disseminating information through the social media, especially in a way that there is no control and management. Anyone who does that doesn’t mean well for the country.”
Meanwhile, the governor handed over 100 patrol vans, 50 motorcycles, one towing van, five Black Maria to the Lagos State Police Command to battle crime in the state.
Fashola explained that the vehicles were only tools in the hands of security operatives and would become effective with a combination of dedicated officers.
He urged security personnel to be diligent and professional in the discharge of their duties while appealing to the police to be humane and be proactive instead of being reactive
The governor, also, admonished the residents of the state to cooperate with security operatives, especially during security checks, pointing out that such checks might save lives.
In his address, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, thanked
Fashola for the donations, assuring that the patrol vehicles would help law enforcement agents in discharging their responsibilities effectively in the state.
The police commissioner added that the law enforcement agents would ensure that the vehicles and motorcycles “are well used to protect and secure the people of the state
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