Another FESTAC robbery

The Police high command weekend described as false report credited to it that their call on the Navy and Air Force personnel for assistance during last Tuesday’s bank robbery in Festac Town was ignored.

This is just as it was disclosed that men of OP MESSA , a Military outfit were drafted to the scene of robbery that fateful day.

Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Onikan, comprising Lagos and Ogun states commands, Bala Hassan, said he never apportioned blame to any security agency, when he visited the scene of robbery in the company of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, last Thursday.

Describing the report as one without an iota of truth in a statement signed by the zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Adebowale Lawal, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, he said; “It is a fact that the AIG visited the scene accompanied by some senior police officers, but he was the only person that granted interview and he did not at any point in time apportion blame to any security agency(ies).

As a matter of fact, the AIG appreciates the existing synergy between the Police and other security agencies. This explains why upon assumption of office, he paid courtesy visits to heads of the Army, Airforce and Navy to seek their cooperation and sustenance of the existing concerted collaborative efforts in fighting crime in his command.”

On his part, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni also described the report as one aimed at causing tension where there was none. He dared anyone to mention the policeman that apportioned the blame to the Navy and Airforce.

He revealed that information at his disposal showed that operatives of OP MESSA were on ground to assist the police on the day of the robbery incident, wandering why anyone would attribute such report on the Police.

On the day of the robbery incident, he said that the AIG Zone 2 and himself were in Abuja for a conference, hence the need to visit the scene on arrival.