Lagos Robbery: Presidency Blasts Fashola for Accusing GEJ

The Presidency has described condemned a statement by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), that Thursday’s robbery in Lekki was made possible due to President Jonathan’s presence in the state.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the Presidency viewed the governor’s statement as “grossly and utterly irresponsible.” He said he had expected that a man of Fashola’s status would speak more responsibly.

But giving his reasons for blaming Jonathan for the robbery incident, Fashola said:

“This afternoon (Thursday), we lost three policemen in a robbery in Lekki and it is the first of its type in a very long time. But it was sad to have seen all our security personnel and all our security vehicles deployed to protect one man. All the vehicles we bought for the police were stationed to receive the President in Lagos while the citizens were left vulnerable.

“Those policemen have children and tonight, their mothers would be hard put to explain to them why daddy would not be coming home.”

In their reaction, the Nigeria Police have also said that there is nothing improper in deploying as many policemen as possible to protect the country’s President.

Asked whether a larger percentage of policemen in a state are deployed to protect the President whenever he visits any state in the country, Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, explained that the President needed as much security as he could get.

Ojukwu said, “There is nothing wrong in adequately protecting the President but that does not mean that the police force will leave every other Nigerian unprotected. That is why we are called Nigerian Police Force."