The Lagos State Police Command has defended the use of stop-and-search operations by officers, saying the strategy remains one of the most effective tools for preventing crime and rescuing victims of criminal activities.
Speaking at the Political Intelligence Summit: Youth-Police Engagement Programme, themed “Bridging the Gap: Youth-Police Engagement for Community Safety and Social Reform,” held at the Igbogbo Police Command, in Ikorodu, on Monday, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Agene James, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, said the police were empowered by law to stop and search persons where there was reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.
The event was organised by the Lagos State Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Defender, and brought together government officials, police officers, lawyers, youth groups, civil society organisations and development partners to discuss ways of strengthening police-youth relations.
According to James, the stop-and-search exercise had contributed significantly to the recovery of illegal firearms, the arrest of criminal suspects and the rescue of kidnap victims.
