By Bose Adelaja & Adetomiwa Adewoyin
CITIZENS COMPASS— A non-aligned political pressure group, The Renewal Group, on Thursday, adduced reasons for calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up a panel of inquiry on Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Olohundare Jimoh.
The Renewal Group demanded a public enquiry into alleged cases of corruption, land grabbing, and abuse of office by the CP.
Addressing its inaugural press briefing in Lagos, the Convener of the Group, Lai Omotola, condemned the level of atrocities allegedly perpetrated by the operatives of the Lagos State Police Command, particularly its Task Force.
Omotola lamented that policing in Lagos is gradually becoming a nightmare under the watch of CP Moshood Jimoh. This situation necessitated a letter written by the Group and addressed to President Tinubu.
Citizens Compass reported that the Group had called on Tinubu to as a matter of urgency set up a public enquiry into the cases of alleged corruption, land grabbing, and abuse of office by the CP and men of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) under the leadership of CSP Adetayo Akerele.
Recalled that the petition, addressed to Tinubu, was contained in a letter dated Monday, March 16, 2026.
Citizens Compass reported that the letter signed by Omotola, was titled, “Urgent request to set up a public enquiry into cases of corruption, land grabbing, abuse of office, abuse of human rights, disobedience of court order and illegal demolition of citizens’ property by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh.”
At the Thursday press briefing, Omotola stated the reasons for calling on Mr. President to set up a panel of enquiry.
According to him: TRG is a non-aligned political pressure group to use both politics and politicians as a veritable tool for transformational development and this morning we put our focus on policing in Lagos state.
First, the Nigerian Police and what we know.
The British bestowed us with a strong Police Force fashion after the British Police system. Early after our Independence the coup plotters realised that the police couldn’t resist any coup hence the military began to diminish the Nigerian Police. Funding and ammunition were denied to Nigeria Police because it would be lame duck. After the reign of the Military Government, the democratic government was established, and the first attempt to report the Police was made by President Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military leader agreeing to our early position. The former President changed the name from Nigeria Police Force to Nigeria Police to be citizen-friendly.
The first role of a Policeman is to be a peacemaker and an enforcer of the Law. There is no developed nation with an underdeveloped Police and no underdeveloped nation with a developed Police. The development of any nation is a direct function of the Police because no nation can develop in the absence of law and order. Hence the critical importance of the police. Policing is a noble profession and must remain so for reasons that abound.
However, the degeneration of Nigeria Police has become both self-inflicted and Political
The majority of politicians in Nigeria are not popular and are not loved by the people hence the police play an important role during and after election therefore it is in the interest of unpopular politicians to make Nigeria Police moribund.
Why Lagos?
Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of Africa and host to the best and most intelligent people from all parts of the country. It is deliberate that it’s called the “Centre of Excellence” and must leave it to the full meaning of this name. It must be a city of law and order wrapped with sanity and splendor. With a population of about N22million it deserves to be called a Nation. It is strategic and significant to the development of Africa. Therefore we should be concerned about reports coming out of a city that never sleeps.
Policing in Lagos is gradually turning into an embarrassment and a nightmare under the watch of CP Moshood Jimoh
hence our letter to Mr. President to set up a panel of enquiry. This is not a time for media rants. It is time to establish facts and figures.
Since our letter to the President, some people have read our letter with unbelief and some say there are spurious claims. We are here to give just one piece of evidence of the several pieces of evidence. Firstly on the recent viral video on the Lagos Taskforce. We do not think we need the kind of enforcement that the chairman is proposing because on Lagos roads we now have cameras on some federal roads and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) will do a better job and furthermore the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority(LASTMA) will also do the job.
The primary assignment of the Taskforce which is the environment has failed…
as evident in the return of monthly sanitation and demonstrated by the governor sweeping the environment this should not be so.
