PHOTOS: Sanwo-Olu hosts defence chief, says criminal attacks declining nationwide

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, on Monday hosted Christopher Musa, the chief of defence staff (CDS), at the state house in Marina.

In a post shared on his X handle, Sanwo-Olu said the nation has witnessed a sharp decline in criminal attacks in areas burdened by instability.

He thanked the servicemen for upholding their duty to protect law-abiding citizens.

“During the meeting, I emphasised that the economic recovery efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rested on the premise of law and order, noting that the seed of the President’s economic vision would germinate quicker if the military tightened its grip over those attempting to undermine the nation’s security,” Sanwo-Olu wrote.

Gboyega Akosile, chief press secretary to the governor, in a statement on his X page, said Sanwo-Olu urged the military to brace up and reinforce its strength to restore stability in areas still affected by banditry.

“The vision of the President to advance economic development and prosperity can only be achieved in an atmosphere of stability and peace,” the statement reads.

“We have observed how you have provided level-headed leadership to the Defence personnel while working collaboratively with your fellow service chiefs. This is specially commendable, as the nation is now seeing the results of the collaboration among our defence forces.

“In the last 12 months, we have seen a consistent decline in what we used to see as regular criminal attacks in some parts of the country. In the Southeast, we have seen military successes, as violence has gone down significantly.

“We have witnessed similar successes in the north central but we still have pockets of violence in the north-east, which I believe is within control. The military needs to tighten up and keep focus on restoring order to quickly accelerate progress in line with the President’s vision.”

The governor passed a vote of confidence on the service chiefs, noting that the state government had maintained a good working relationship with the military formation in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu emphasised the importance of defence headquarters to help officers maintain good mental health during service and retirement, urging the CDS to establish a strong welfare system.

“Governance is a tool for development that is centred on people’s interest. This vision should sit firmly with your agenda for the military. I’ll implore you to pursue your vision for the Defence and build a legacy that would create armed forces which would be people-centric,” the governor said.

“While pursuing the welfare of your officers, you must also build confidence among the citizens by addressing the basic issues that our people want. These include the security of lives and property, which is the paramount reason why the government is in place.”

The CDS was accompanied by top defence officers, including Mohammed Usman, the general officer commanding (GOC) 81 division of the army; Mustapha Hassan, the flag officer commanding western naval command; and A.Y. Abdullahi, the air officer commanding logistics, among others.

See pictures from the visit below.