The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh has reaffirmed that the newly introduced Eko Strike Force is a strategic initiative established to promptly intervene in any security threat across Lagos, ensuring sustained peace during the high-traffic Ember months and beyond. He also maintained that the security outfit is not in competition with the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS) or any other existing tactical unit in the country’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the CP also added that the Eko Strike Force was a creation toof the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun rather than his. It is designed to strengthen rapid security response across Lagos State and to reinforce existing policing structures.
Initially stationed in Surulere to guarantee swift access to both the Mainland and Island, the Eko Strike Force has now been provided a befitting headquarters in Shomolu LGA through the support of the esteemed local government chairman.
The CP stressed that the Eko Strike Force is not a rival to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) but a complementary unit. While the RRS covers the entire state, the Strike Force “moves quicker and faster to respond where coverage gaps may exist.”
The team is composed entirely of officers from the Police Mobile Force, forming both the overt and covert arms of the operation.
He announced a significant expansion of the tactical squad from 23 operatives to 35, with ongoing plans to increase the spread of the outfit’s capacity to 57 units covering all 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs in Lagos State. This expansion, he said, is supported by ongoing cooperation from council chairmen across Lagos.
The CP credited the Inspector General of Police for equipping the Eko Strike Force with the capacity to confront any security challenge in the state.
Assessing crime trends, the CP noted that Lagos has enjoyed remarkably low crime rates through September, October, and November, adding that the state remains secure as December approaches.
He thanked the media for its partnership in informing the public, urging journalists to avoid amplifying unfounded fears and to continue reporting gaps that require police attention.