Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, has announced the restoration of security personnel assigned to Mojisola Meranda, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, following their earlier withdrawal.
Addressing journalists at the state police command headquarters on Thursday, Jimoh explained that the withdrawal was not politically motivated but part of an ongoing audit of police personnel and firearms.
“Periodic audits of police personnel attached to eminent personalities and groups are a standard police procedure. This is not unique to Lagos but applies across all commands,” Jimoh stated.
He emphasized that the audit aims to ensure:
Accountability — Verifying the presence and activities of officers on duty
Firearm Management — Tracking police weapons to prevent misuse
Legitimate Deployments — Identifying and correcting unauthorized postings
Jimoh noted that Lagos, with a population exceeding 20 million people and a police force of fewer than 18,000 officers, must carefully allocate resources to maintain public safety.
“This process helps us redeploy officers from unapproved or illegal duty posts to stations, divisions, and area commands where their presence is critically needed,” he added.
Centralized Management of Police Protection
The Special Protection Units (SPU) at Force Headquarters will now oversee police deployments for personal and VIP protection nationwide. Jimoh explained that some approvals for security details in Lagos could not be verified, but individuals still requiring protection can reapply:
“Applications for police protection will be treated urgently on merit, in line with police regulations for VIPs, non-VIPs, and other individuals,” he assured.
This development comes amid ongoing political tensions within the Lagos State House of Assembly, but the commissioner stressed that the audit is purely procedural, reinforcing the police’s commitment to transparency, security, and public trust.
