The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police have pledged to strengthen collaboration between the police and communities across Lagos.

Egbetokun made the pledge at the launch of the Lagos State Police Band, saying the initiative would help project the Nigeria Police Force positively, reinforce public confidence and enhance ceremonial dignity.

The IGP noted that despite Lagos State Command’s strategic importance within the Nigeria Police Force, it had, since inception, operated without a dedicated band and relied on the Force Headquarters band.

He said the newly inaugurated band would fill that gap and further support engagement between the police and residents of the state.

In a welcome address, the Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, thanked the IGP for approving the establishment of the band and for commissioning it despite his tight schedule.

Jimoh described the Lagos State Police Command as one of the most complex and critically scrutinised formations in the country, operating under the intense pressures of a megacity.

He said the command was not merely a regional arm of the Nigeria Police Force but a critical institution functioning at the crossroads of rapid urbanisation, economic activity and social inequality.

He added that the absence of a police band had been a notable institutional gap, given the command’s national importance.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, commended the IGP and the commissioner for the initiative, saying it would bring the police closer to the people.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the band would serve not only the police but also members of the public when needed.

He stressed the importance of cooperation between residents and security agencies, noting that security remained central to development.

According to him, schools, hospitals and businesses cannot thrive in an atmosphere of fear.