The cold war between the Federal
Government and Lagos State Government may be the reason why the latter
has stopped the Lagos Safe City Project, a scheme aimed at providing
10,000 solar-powered closed circuit cameras all over the metropolis.
This emerged against the backdrop of the
increasing cases of kidnapping in Lagos, a menace that has defied
efforts by the police and other in the state.
While making enquiries about police
effort in tracking kidnappers through the security cameras in the state,
a police source at the State Criminal Investigation Department told our
correspondent that security cameras had never been used in their
investigations.
“The only time we make use of CCTV
cameras is when our investigation takes us to a hotel or mall with
security cameras. But if it is a crime committed on a Lagos road, forget
it,” the source said.
Governor Babatunde Fashola had stated in
January 2009 that the 10,000 cameras the state planned to install were
to help to reduce crime in the state.
At a demonstration event, Fashola said
the number of policemen in the state was inadequate considering the
number of people in the state.
He said at the time, “Eighteen million
people cannot be protected and policed by 33,000 people. This is
impossible. No matter how much we try to increase the number of
policemen, we cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a
different result.
“In an information technology-driven
world, we have to be counted as one of those states and communities
which will adopt best practices. Cameras, sensors, tracking devices are
the nerve centre of these facilities that would assist men and officers
of the police force, fire service among others to do their duty much
more effectively.”
The project was to be funded by the
Lagos Security Trust Fund while the cameras were supposed to be managed
remotely through a central security command unit. Four years after this
announcement was made, the state has not had a taste of those promises.
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