The Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force are collaborating to rebuild twenty-five Barracks and facilities that have become dilapidated in the state.

The collaboration is aimed at giving officers and men befitting accommodation, an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba, had started in some states, where some houses had since been inaugurated.

According to Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this in Lagos, other states in the federation would also have similar projects carried out either by current Inspector-General of Police or new ones coming.

Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police said the Barracks affected in Lagos included Adekunle, Agege, Alausa, Area F, Bar-Beach, Bourdillon, Falomo, Federal Highway Patrol, MTX Highway and Ijeh Police Barracks.

He named others to include; Ijora, SQ MTX Ijora, SQ MTX Iponri, K 9 police Barracks, Kam Salem, SQ MTX McCarthy, Mopol 2 Keffi, Mounted Troops, Obalende Barracks, Police Officers’ Mess Obalende and Women Barracks amongst others.

Adejobi said officers and men living in the affected barracks listed were requested to vacate their quarters within the next 30 days, starting from first May, to pave way for seamless demolition and redevelopment of the buildings.

He said there would be census of the residents in barracks, to ascertain genuine officers living in those facilities, stressing that they will be given money to secure accommodation for two years, which the project was expected to last.

Adejobi said officers would not be asked to vacate their apartments until money was paid to them for new accommodation, saying no one had been forced out of the barracks as they are expected to move out between first and thirtieth May, adding they will not be asked to move until their money is paid for a new accommodation.

The Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba gave marching orders for the evacuation of officers and men in dilapidated structures in Lagos, after the recent collapse of a building at Sango Police Barracks, Ibadan, Oyo State.

In a signal dated April 26 to Zonal and State Police Commands, the Inspector-General of Police said the barracks rehabilitation became necessary in view of the danger the structures posed to the officers and men.

Baba said the order was to forestall further occurrence of police building collapse and prevent loss of lives and property of police personnel in the barracks.

Adejobi disclosed further that plans have also been concluded to foot the alternative accommodation cost of all legal residents of the affected barracks with the payment of two years’ rent when construction works in these will end. 

He stated that the Inspector General of Police has provided an assurance that all officers who are on active service and living in these barracks legally, shall receive the keys to the new structure upon completing the development of the improved housing areas.

“With the successful planning of these projects, potential officers deployed to Lagos State Police Command upon completion of the buildings will be living in modernised facilities that will add value to the State’s social, economic and environmental profile of the Nigeria Police Force”, Adejobi stated.

Speaking onbehalf of the Lagos State Government, Special Assistant to the Governor on Housing, Oritoke Benson, said some police barracks in Lagos have been “crying” for attention for too long.

According to her, government decided to approach the Force Headquarters for collaboration in rehabilitating the barracks and facilities.

Benson noted that for many years, there have been yearnings for the reformation of the Force and better welfare for the personnel; adding that she wondered where the welfare should begin if not from a befitting accommodation.

She pointed out that some of the buildings in the Barracks had been marked for demolition by the Lagos State Government officials, as most of the buildings were no longer safe for habitation.

“We looked at various police barracks in Lagos State, we wondered if officers and men actually come out of those buildings. This could affect how they address or respond to citizens in the cause of their duties.

“Some are coming out from buildings that are collapsing. When such officers see people in air conditioned cars, there may be anger that they have been neglected by the state.

“I am glad that the State and Federal Government are yielding to the call for the reform. The police in Lagos and other states deserve better accommodation, better schools for their children, better amenities,” she noted.

She said the state would facilitate all the building plans and approval, assuring that the best structures would be built to avoid building collapse in police barracks in future.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on E-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr. Olajide Babatunde informed that the move to regenerate the barracks will help prevent building collapse, revealing that the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA had severally certified some Police Barracks in the State as unfit for habitation.

While recalling that LASBCA recently published the list of some distressed properties in the newspapers for the awareness of affected property owners before demolition, Dr. Babatunde called on inhabitants of distressed buildings in any part of the state to willingly vacate such buildings for public safety.