The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), in collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command and the Nigeria Police Air Wing, has conducted an extensive aerial surveillance patrol across the length and breadth of Lagos State as part of efforts to sustain Lagos State’s status as a safe and secure state.

The operation, led by the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, also had senior police officers, including the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Tijani; ACP Nsikan Boniface, Pilot, Nigeria Police Air Wing Department, Force Headquarters; CSP Dazi Manga, Pilot and Admin Officer, RRS Lagos; DSP Saka Ayodele; and the LSSTF Director of Administration, Mr Degbola Lewis.

It covered key zones of Lagos across both the mainland and island corridors, providing real-time situational awareness and supporting intelligence-led security operations.

Speaking, Ogunsan described the initiative as a proactive measure aimed at enhancing public safety, strengthening rapid-response capabilities, and providing additional support for security agencies tasked with protecting lives and property across Lagos.

According to him, the aerial patrols are not a one-time exercise but will become a regular feature of the state’s security architecture.

He said: “We started this mission a few months ago, and we stated very clearly that we are not here to frighten anyone but to encourage Lagosians to be fully ready to support us in this move to keep Lagos safe.

“The first exercise was a successful one. Lagosians responded very well to it and we promised that we would keep this going. This is a follow-up. We have been running this silently without informing Lagosians but, because of the tension in the land, it is important that we carry you along.

“The Executive Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed us to assure you that Lagos is safe and that the security of this land is his priority, and that he is working 24 hours a day to ensure that Lagos is safe.

“This is a message of hope, comfort, encouragement, and assurance that you have a caring leader who has security paramount in his heart.”

Ogunsan continued: “As his foot soldiers, we are also assuring you that our air, land, and sea are very safe. This is a subnational contribution to national security. Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is doing more than enough to ensure that Nigeria is safe but, as subnationals, we must also contribute our own quota. We will get in the air now to patrol the entire Lagos and also identify areas of security concern and ensure that the right thing is done.”

He also urged Lagosians not to be alarmed by the increased presence of low-flying surveillance aircraft across various parts of the state in the coming days.

“In the next few days, the air will be very busy but I assure Lagosians not to be scared when they hear the sounds of aircraft hovering around their areas. We are your people, they are not strange forces, and we will ensure that the right things are done,” he noted.

On his part, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Tijani, added on the need for air surveillance: “This is to boost the confidence of the public that the Police are ready to secure them. It is to tell Lagosians that the Police are not just on the land, but also in the air. By hovering around the state, we know that there is no hiding place for criminals on the land, the sea, and now in the air.”

These aerial patrols facilitated by LSSTF will continue on a sustained basis as part of a broader strategy to improve surveillance, intelligence gathering, and operational effectiveness. It will also help stamp out all forms of criminality in the nation’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos.