The Area D Command of the Lagos Police Command along Isolo Road, Mushin, under the supervision of the Area Commander, ACP Bamidele Awoniyi, has charged community stakeholders in the Mushin Zone of the command on the need to join hands to police the community and create a safe and peaceful community. 

On Friday, 30 January 2025, the Area D Commander hosted a strategic meeting with critical stakeholders within the Mushin community with a theme "Policing the community by the community".


He made the stakeholders present know that the meeting is one of the community policing strategies for effective policing by engaging the community in a dialogue to police the community. 


He narrated that the incessant killing among the youths, causing social unrest and lawlessness in the community has to stop, "if you think because you are not affected and you are less concerned somebody you might know or your children might fall victims of these boys lawlessness, so we have to join hands to police our community,." He said. 


He described the level of insecurity in the community, the police challenges, and the way the community should assist in making it possible to flush the bad youths spoiling the name of the community. 


He charged them to be sincere in flushing out those criminals whom he believed were not ghosts in the community, "Without your cooperation, nothing the police can do." He added. 


The Stakeholders present were traditional rulers, Mushin political office holders, CDC/ CDAs leaders, Youth representatives, Mushin NURTW leaders and so on. 


The Area Commander appealed to them to engage the youth through several empowerment programs, "Because an idle hand is a devil's workshop when these boys are engaged positively in the community, who knows? They can change for the better as most of the youth's violent tendencies are a result of not being engaged. 


Representing the Chairman of Mushin Local Government Hon Talabi, the Supervisor for Special Duties and intergovernmental relations, responded, "The Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Bamigboye is doing a lot in terms of youth engagement and empowerment, but this kind of youths we are talking about don't come forward for the training, even job opportunity in the Military, they don't come, the Chairman want them to come and use their aggressive energy to serve the nation, we don't see them, just one guy who does not fall into the category of these criminals just got admitted into the Nigeria Army, currently in the camp now" He said. 


Other Stakeholders present spoke about the situation and expressed readiness to work with the police, encouraged the police to be professional in discharging their duty and asked for confidentiality in every Information given because of the threat to life by the criminals. 


The Area Commander assured them of absolute confidentiality and professionalism, he explained the challenges the police face in getting justice against the criminals which involve the judiciary and most time the community is not helping the police in that regard, "Because it is a different thing to arrest a criminal, it is another thing to convince the judiciary when there are no prosecution witnesses."He said. 


Also, on the issue of detaining criminals, the process of the law has to be respected. "We can't keep them longer than expected in the cell; when we arrest criminals, and somebody comes for their bail, we have to release them even before taking them to court and getting to the court, we have to present witnesses to get justice; the community has to be ready to take the bull by the horns." He said. 


A special appearance was made by the popular socialite, a true Mushine, born and raised in the hood but currently living in London, Mr Wole Amodemaja aka the Champion, said he's not happy when he heard of all the bad things the boys are doing in the community, prayed for them to change for the better, using his life experience when growing up in the community as an example and thanked God that he was able to realise his mistake and change for the better. 


On the issue of empowerment for the youth, he announced to the people that he's planning to set up a foundation to help youth in the community, called the Moonshine Foundation. 


Security personnel present were DPOs from the Police Divisions within the Mushin Zone of the command, namely Olosan, Alakara, Itire Police Divisions, the Hunters, and OPC leaders.