Lagos State Police Dismiss Reports of Niger Delta Avengers in State

The Lagos state police command has advised Lagosians  not to panic about unconfirmed reports in certain quarters alleging that new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, plans to attack the city.

According to a report emanating from The Nation, the police urged law-abiding citizens to be rest assured that there was no threat to the security of lives and property in the state.

Lagos state police commissioner, Mr Fatai Owoseni said the city is safe and that the fears of an attack on the city by militants, especially the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), were unfounded.

He also described as a “mere rumour” the insinuation that the NDA was planning to bomb the Ikorodu  Police Station, the Atlas Cove, the Third Mainland Bridge and  other targets.

The militant group has claimed responsibility for the renewed attacks on pipelines and oil platforms in the Niger Delta – activities that have dipped Nigeria’s 2.2million barrels of crude per day production to about 900,000.

In Ikorodu, a huge deployment of policemen was said to have reinforced the rumour that an attack was likely. The police boss, however, said that the police officers were stationed at Ikorodu because there was an ongoing operation in the town to dislodge cultists and other criminal gangs in the area.

Owoseni said: “Ikorodu has been sectioned into four tactical operations points, which are manned between 5am and 9pm.

“In fact, the report at our disposal now is that some of the militants who used the waterways to commit heinous crimes, like kidnapping and armed robbery have been relocating.

“There is no threat of bombing of a police station at Ikorodu. However, plain-clothe policemen, officials of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) are on ground and on top of the situation. People should be careful where they go,” he said.

Owoseni also debunked accusations of extra-judicial killings against the police, insisting that armed robbery and kidnapping suspects arrested since August have been charged to court.