In a bid to avert a repeat of last Friday’s bombing of the United Nation (UN) building in Abuja by the Boko Haram sect, the Lagos State Government yesterday beefed up security at the Lagos State governor’s and his deputy’s entrance gates, just as they turned back visitors without previous appointment from gaining access.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the directive was given by top security aides to the state governor, leading to the immediate construction of a barricade at the entrance and exit gate of the deputy governor’s office.
By this development, the policemen deployed to man the gates told our correspondent, visitors and workers at the Lagos State Secretariat Alausa had been barred from entering or exiting through the gates, except the deputy governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and those directly working with her.
The state’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Tunde Shobulo, was at the secretariat to monitor the enforcement of the new restriction order as workers resumed from the two? days of Eid-el-Fitri holidays.
A policeman attached to the commander of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the restriction order was a fallout of decisions reached at the state security council meeting.
He explained that the order may not be unconnected with the wave of bombings by the radical Boko Haram sect across the country,? as there were fears that some places in the state might be targetted by the terrorists.
Demonstrating its seriousness on the issue and need for people to comply, Shobulo and Odumosu, whose office is a few metres away from the barricaded gate, drove through another gate to get to his office.
Security has also been beefed up in and around the secretariat, which had witnessed skirmishes of attacks on vehicles in recent times.
The Adeyemi Bero Auditorium entrance gate situated inside the secretariat was shut from use by vehicles owners, staff and visitors.
The security personnel on duty who rebuffed pleas from staff of the state government to allow them to get in to resume their duties, insisted he was acting on orders from his superiors.
Some workers at the secretariat told our correspondent that the new directive would compound traffic situation in and around the secretariat.
They urged the state security agencies to instal bomb detectors and close circuit television (CCTv)cameras at designated places to expose any suspicious movements? around the secretariat.
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