Lagos State to decide on Supreme Court’s ‘Rev King’ Emeka Ezeugo verdict

• Plans to ease justice delivery, establish DNA forensic centre
• Ambode vows to eliminate multiple taxation
• Monarch calls for military police barracks over Ikorodu killings

The Lagos State government yesterday said it would decide on the Supreme Court’s judgment that affirmed death sentence on the Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, popularly called Rev. King.

The government also disclosed that it had reopened the alleged murder case against Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, to ensure justice.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kazeem Adeniji, who disclosed the government’s position at a ministerial briefing held at the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday, said the move would serve as a warning to those planning to perpetrate acts that would attract death sentence.

Besides, Adeniji said that 750,000 newly-introduced criminal suspect forms had been handed over to the state police command to ease justice delivery, help record keeping and intelligence gathering of criminals in the state.

He also said the government was working on the establishment of a DNA forensic centre that would enable proper investigation, prosecution of crimes, adjudication and the administration of justice in the state.

Adeniji spoke as part of activities to mark the second year in office of the administration.

Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has described the state public service as progressive and a great contributor to the growth of the country.

He said this yesterday at the opening session of the third yearly summit of the Association of Lagos State Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ALARHOSPS) held at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa and urged the association to continue to add value to governance and uphold the excellence that Lagos is known for.

Also, the governor said his administration was committed to eliminate multiple taxations in the state, especially at the local council level.

Ambode said this when he received the Chair Occupier, Lagos State Professorial Chair in Tax and Fiscal Matters, Prof. Abiola Sanni and other members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), University of Lagos (UNILAG), in Ikeja. He said the tax system in the state must be presented in such a way that it would be clear to all and sundry.

He, therefore, tasked Prof. Sanni to use his tenure in office to address issues relating to multiple taxations, noting that his administration was able to achieve the level of infrastructural development in the last two years without necessarily increasing taxes.

In another development, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu 1, has called on the Federal Government to establish Police Mobile Force (PMF) and military barracks at Ishawo and other crimes-prone waterfront communities.

The monarch made the call when the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Police Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Foluso Adebanjo, visited him in his palace on behalf of the IGP, Idris Ibrahim, in Lagos.