Statistics from the police show that Lagos State has seen 345 victims of brutal murders in the past year.

This is the highest state record in just a few years.

Abiodun Alabi, Commissioner of Police, disclosed the information at Thursday's 16th Town Hall Meeting organized by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund at Civic Centre on Victoria Island.

He said 324 murder cases with 345 victims were recorded while 409 suspects were arrested.

Alabi also revealed that the State had only 21 instances of armed robbery in the past 12 months.

He added that the Command arrested 146 armed robbers in 149 foiled attempts, saying that in the same year, Lagos recorded 52 cases of cultism-related attacks, with 240 suspected cultists arrested and charged.

The police chief disclosed that 89 high-grade arms and 376 assorted ammunitions were recovered, while 280 dangerous weapons, including cudgels, were seized from criminals.

Alabi said: “In the period under review, Lagos Police Command recorded a remarkable feat in crime fighting when we began checkmating the activities of commercial motorcycle riders, following Mr. Governor’s proscription of Okada in the State. Crimes being committed using motorcycles have reduced. Out of 8,105 Okadas we impounded from last year, 4,815 were seized between June and September 2022.”

Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said his administration adopted a technology-driven strategy that enabled the security agencies to respond proactively ahead of potential breaches at vulnerable spots, including a web of undercover operations to frustrate armed attacks on possible targets.

This, he said, has bolstered the confidence of the financial institutions to freely move their cash around the State with limited risks.

The governor said the collaborative security approach had yielded significant results in crime fighting, leading to a sharp reduction in the rate of criminality across Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu said the State had not only boosted the morale of the security personnel with constant training and provision of equipment but had also raised its capacity to contain emerging threats.

He said: “As a Government, our approach to security is holistic and collaborative. Our security policy is driven by the need to engender a wholly secure environment that enables the wellbeing, prosperity, and fulfilment of all the residents.

‘We consider no amount of investment too big to be put forward in ensuring the progress we have achieved since inception is sustained. In the last three and a half years, we have continued to maintain the record of zero-incident of robbery attack on banks or any other financial institution operating in our State.