LSSTF is a security trust fund to help keep Lagos safe since the Nigeria police are underfunded and can’t secure Lagos with its rickety vehicles
By Eberechi Obinagwam,
The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), has pleaded to well-meaning Lagosians and corporations to donate to the Trust Fund for the continuous safety and security in Lagos.
The appeal was made by the Executive Secretary, LSSTF, Abdurrazaq Balogun at the Alausa Secretariat office of the LSSTF while donating the sum of ten million Naria to the immediate family of a Chief Superintendent of Police, (CSP), Kazeem Sumonu Abonde, who lost his life at Asa Afariogun Road, Ajao Estate area of Lagos on the 23rd of September, 2021 while enforcing the law on the restriction of movement of commercial motorcycles on prohibited routes in the State.
LSSTF boss, Abdurrazaq, during the presentation also disclosed that the provision of protective gear and other operational equipment for operatives to enable officers to discharge their activities and protect them as much as possible during operations is a sign that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Fund remains committed to the welfare and safety of the security operatives operating in the state.
About the LSSTF
The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) was established by a Law of the Lagos State House of Assembly in September 2007 as a direct response to the security challenges in the State.
According to reports, the establishment of the LSSTF became imperative after the State Governor received and reviewed the report of a high powered Security Committee which it established under the chairmanship of the former Inspector General of Police to look into ways and means of combating the growing menace of violent crimes in the state and the seeming inability of the police and other security agencies to confront this challenge in spite of their best efforts.
The report made it crystal clear that the problem was essentially related to logistics, mobility, communications, kitting and so on especially when considering the peculiar security challenges in the state. It was the finding of the Security committee that a minimum of N3.7B was required to provide standard security cover for Lagos State including the waterways. This deficit was due to the several years of underfunding of the police especially during the military regime by the Federal Government. It must be pointed out that security is the exclusive responsibility of the Federal Government but Lagos State has gone ahead to support these agencies to ensure the security of its citizens.