Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS - Politics - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum › Nairaland General › Politics › Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS (21704 Views)
| Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by naptu2(op): 8:24am On Apr 28 |
Lagos State Rapid Response Squad @rrslagos767 Today, the home boy returned to base.
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| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by naptu2(op): 8:25am On Apr 28*. Modified: 8:45am On Apr 28 |
Background A new wave of robberies hit Lagos in 1990. Daredevil armed robbers swept across the border from the Republic of Benin and terrorised Lagos, especially the Festac and Surulere areas. These robbers were usually well dressed, came in expensive cars and targetted luxury cars that were popular at that time like the Lexus LS400 and the Nissan Pathfinder. These crazy raids dominated the headlines. The robbers were sometimes dressed in suits and other times in traditional attire and even the police were terrified of them. Some people claimed that the robberies were due to the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, which made it easy for robbers to get automatic rifles and other military grade equipment. There was also another phenomenon that I called consortium robbery. The robbers would write to a neighbourhood that they are coming to rob them so the neighbourhood should prepare and make sure they have enough money for the robbers. Then robbery gangs would combine so that there would be many robbers (some newspapers said as many as 50 robbers) and they would attack the community and go from house to house to rob them. Rasaki The then military governor of Lagos, Colonel Raji Rasaki (the Action Man) has since said that he setup a secret squad of soldiers to tackle the robberies. He said that the soldiers patrolled the city in unmarked luxury cars at night and that their orders were to arrest any robber that surrendered and to kill any robber that fired at them. He said that he told them to leave the bodies of the armed robbers on the streets. He said that this was why people complained about corpses on the roads during his tenure. Marwa Colonel Mohammed Buba Marwa became governor in 1996 and he asked General Abacha for permission to set up a special squad of soldiers that would tackle armed robbery in the state. General Abacha granted permission and Operation Sweep was created. The Lagos State Government financed the operation by providing second hand Toyota Corolla and Nissan Bluebird cars for use as patrol vehicles. These vehicles were not painted in any special colour (so that you could easily mistake them for civilian vehicles), but they had the words Operation Sweep written in black along the sides of the vehicle. Most of them used car alarms as sirens. The Lagos State Government also provided walkie talkies for use in the operation. Operation Sweep evened things out because the soldiers also had military grade weapons like the robbers and the soldiers were not afraid to confront the men of the underworld. There was a cult attack and reprisal attack at the University of Lagos in 1996 and Operation Sweep was deployed to the university. These were plain clothes officers (some people said that they were SSS officers) who patrolled the campus in a grey Peugeot 504 station wagon with the words Operation Sweep written in black on the sides. There were no further cult clashes after that. However, this good programme also created problems for Governor Marwa. It led to a lot of rumours. Senior military officers told General Sani Abacha that it was very dangerous to allow a mere state governor to command troops. They said that Colonel Marwa could use Operation Sweep to stage a coup. In fact, they said that Marwa was planning a coup. Governor Marwa had a dificult time with senior military officers, including the chief of army staff, Lieutenant General Ishaya Bamaiyi during this period. Only two states had soldiers in internal security outfits during this period. There was the dreaded Rivers State Internal Security Task Force of Major Paul Okuntimo and the Lagos Operation Sweep. There were also rumours on the streets. The rumours claimed that Operation Sweep soldiers killed a lot of innocent people. I never saw any evidence of this, but the rumours were persistent. Tinubu and RRS Democracy returned in 1999 and Operation Sweep was disbanded. The soldiers returned to their barracks. Instead, Governor Bola Tinubu created the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
Mobile policemen were deployed to the RRS to replace the departing soldiers and this was the first time that a new strategy was used. Sunday Adewusi was the inspector general of police in the early 1980s (the Shagari era) and he heavily equipped the Mobile Police. They had Sterling Machine Guns, Saxon Armoured Vehicles, etc. In fact, other rank soldiers that took part in the 1983 coup were told that Mr Adewusi had equipped the Mobile Police so that it could resist soldiers if they staged a coup. The Saxon armoured vehicles were parked at Mobile Police barracks and brought out when there were riots. However, in 1999, they were brought out to support RRS operations. The Lagos State Government bought bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets and other equipment for the RRS. Unlike Operation Sweep, RRS does not use civilian vehicles, rather they use vehicles that are painted in RRS colours. The government created the Lagos State Security Trust Fund to support the RRS. Private individuals and organisations can donate to the fund and the money is used to buy equipment for the Lagos State emergency services. Fola Arthur-Worrey was the first executive secretary/CEO of the fund and he explained how it worked. He said that they didn't just go out to buy any equipment for the emergency services, rather they made the officers of the emergency services to state what they needed (because they were the experts in their field), then they would defend their demand before the members of the security trust fund. The Lagos State Government bought patrol boats, a helicopter, armoured vehicles, bulletproof vests, walkie-talkies and other equipment for the squad. It bought Streit Armoured Vehicles for the squad and these were particularly effective. There was a string of very violent bank robberies in Lagos. Robbers on boats attacked Oceanic Bank on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, heavily armed robbers attacked UBA on Admiralty Way, Lekki and other banks in Lagos. This ended one day when robbers attacked a Union Bank in Lekki. The police simply blocked the entrance to the bank with a Streit armoured vehicle. The robbers fired several rounds into the vehicle, but it withstood the attack. They couldn't escape with their loot and car. The robbers eventually abandoned their loot and car and escaped on foot empty handed. Governor Babatunde Fashola lamented that the Lagos State Government bought vehicles, walkie-talkies and other equipment for Operation Sweep, but the soldiers took them away when they returned to the barracks in 1999. He complained about Nigeria's federal police system. He said that the Lagos State Government spends a lot of money to train policemen of the RRS, but that those same policemen could be posted outside Lagos and the state could not do anything about it. The Tinubu Administration created emergency numbers, 112 and 767, for LASAMBUS and these numbers were later extended to the RRS and the Lagos State Fire Service. It planned to build a control center for the emergency services, but it was not completed before it left office. The Fashola Administration commissioned the control center. The Ambode Administration provided surveillance drones for the RRS. RRS policemen undergo regular and free health checkup, they are covered by insurance provided by the Lagos State Government and they are paid allowances by the state government. Olatunji Disu was commander of the Lagos State RRS from 13 June 2015 – 2 August 2021 He made the RRS people friendly. During his tenure RRS policemen assisted people who had breakdowns on Third Mainland Bridge. They helped people to change their tyres, watched over them as they repaired their vehicles, etc. During the COVID-19 lockdown they rushed a pregnant woman, who was in labour but couldn't get any transport, to hospital. They were polite and courteous. Lagosians referred to them as the Good Guys. Tunji Disu was always available online to listen to complaints. Once a friend of mine was jogging in Lekki and an RRS vehicle drove on the sidewalk and against traffic and almost hit her. She complained to Tunji Disu online and he ensured that the team was identified and reprimanded. RRS officers were only accused of extorting money from Nigerians once when he was commander. He immediately identified the policemen, revealed their identities online and ensured that they were punished and the money was refunded. This was only hours after the complaint was first made. Once when he led his men to restore order in a part of Lagos, school children came up to him to ask for selfies and he obliged them. Many people in the comments section of the tweet thread above say that the RRS has not been the same since he left. Tunji Disu teaching his men Blackstone's Ratio when he was RRS commander
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstone%27s_ratio 7 Likes 2 Shares
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| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by naptu2(op): 8:26am On Apr 28 |
Previous threads: RSS Officers Rush Woman In Labour To Hospital In Ketu (photos) https://www.nairaland.com/4058647/rss-officers-rush-woman-labour Lagos: RRS Operatives Assist Stranded Woman https://www.nairaland.com/6236924/lagos-rrs-operatives-assist-stranded Safety Tips For Outdoor Jogging By Commander RRS https://www.nairaland.com/4697367/safety-tips-outdoor-jogging-commander RRS Police Deploys Surveillance Drones To Monitor Crime In Lagos (Photos) https://www.nairaland.com/2771242/rrs-police-deploys-surveillance-drones Lagos RRS Commander, Tunji Disu Redeployed To Abuja https://www.nairaland.com/6307415/lagos-rrs-commander-tunji-disu RRS Products Are Now Leading The Force https://www.nairaland.com/8625884/rrs-products-now-leading-force The First Lawmakers: Reflection On Home, Discipline & Duty By AIG Tunji Disu https://www.nairaland.com/8373234/first-lawmakers-reflection-home-discipline 4 Likes 3 Shares
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| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by helinues: 8:27am On Apr 28 |
Home sweet home..Oga patapata 3 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by naptu2(op): 8:31am On Apr 28 |
RRS Lagos. 3 Likes 2 Shares
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| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Parachoko: 8:39am On Apr 28 |
He really did well when he was commanding the RRS in Lagos 11 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by BarrElChapo(m): 8:39am On Apr 28 |
One of the most corrupt institution in the country 12 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Oluwaseunomo: 8:41am On Apr 28 |
Some people are still coming here to wail as usual, na why i no dey engage on nairaland anymore every post they most wail like say Dem swear for them. 2 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Zynex: 8:42am On Apr 28 |
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| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Parachoko: 8:43am On Apr 28 |
naptu2:I can still remember those days when Armed Robbers will rob all the house in a street  A lot of young people don't know how dangerous Lagos was in the 90s 12 Likes 2 Shares |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by ajbabs(m): 8:45am On Apr 28 |
Well done naptu2. You are an asset to Nairaland forum 9 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Pootle: 8:49am On Apr 28 |
this tunji look like someone ready to make a change, RRS squad is a very professional squad other police men always try to join them, their equipment, weapons and gears are neat and well maintained including their personnel. i hope he replicate the same energy in the federal spectrum 6 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by DeltaBachelor(m): 8:49am On Apr 28 |
Okay. You are welcome sir |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by MarketDispatch: 8:49am On Apr 28 |
ajbabs:But why is the naptu2 always deleting the topic post and any reference of quote of the post he or she makes. Why is Seun allowing the destruction of evidence by moderators |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by OAFMods: 8:52am On Apr 28 |
That is what your deluded mind believes. Today a tactical unit division created in Lagos is the best division among all police unit in the country. Thanks to the vision n leadership of 1 man Bola Ahmed Tinubu. BarrElChapo: |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by ccollins(m): 8:57am On Apr 28 |
Parachoko:what's funny about such a thing that u are laughing in a evil way. Do u know the tears and pains such robberies caused many families and individuals in the past. U know the number of people that died. U are being masochist and insensitive as some evil people on this nairaland platform are. U better repent and turn to Jesus Christ who alone can redeem u from sin and eternal condemnation |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by JuanDeDios: 8:58am On Apr 28 |
naptu2:Well, there was a particular case of two brothers (or was it 3 friends) who were killed at - I think it was a traffic stop. Marwa later visited their family, I think. It was a widely reported case then, but I've forgotten all the details. 1 Like |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Menses: 8:58am On Apr 28 |
E happen for Meiran here well...dem go even write give street that they r coming Parachoko: |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Parachoko: 8:59am On Apr 28 |
ccollins:Yawns 🥱 🥱 🥱 Alright, I don hear you |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Parachoko: 9:00am On Apr 28 |
Menses:I experienced it thrice in the 90's 1 Like |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by JuanDeDios: 9:03am On Apr 28 |
The Operation Sweep model was also copied by several other state milads. The ones in places like Edo and Delta were credited with bringing down the crime rate - but allegations of extrajudicial killings were also not far off. They were sometimes reckless, after all. There was a case in Benin where they targeted one foolish robber in a crowded market. Yes, they got him, but that was reckless, shooting someone in a place full of civilians. 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by JuanDeDios: 9:05am On Apr 28*. Modified: 11:08am On Apr 28 |
Mr Disu did some really good work in RRS. It has to be said. He's one Nigerian police officer you don't hear anyone say bad things about. I think one reason he was so successful at RRS is that he cared about his men. So as IG, I hope he addresses the issue of officers' welfare - as there's a widespread perception within the force that all the IGs since 1999 (apart from Tafa Balogun) could not be bothered. The Pension Reforms they're currently clamouring for would be a good place to start. I know it's in President Tinubu's hands, but there's a lot the IG can do to make things happen. 4 Likes 2 Shares |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by iwaeda: 9:08am On Apr 28 |
Baba tried for RRS, he did well. On a longer note, he is already 60 and should take a bow. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by olyrayy(m): 9:27am On Apr 28 |
I remember one day I and my guys were driving to the mall. Then there was this other car that was harassing us. What they wanted, we didn't know. They even came down from their car in the middle of the road and wanted to fight us. We just jejelly parked behind a RRS police vehicle because who knows, those guys might be waiting for us at the other end of the road. The police men came, and asked us what happened. We explained. Then they redirected us through another route. As in, they followed us, like convoy. In our mind, we were already thinking of how much they would ask us to pay. When they finally redirected us to a safe location, they bade us goodbye and left. We were shocked. They didn't ask for money or anything. It was surreal. 16 Likes 3 Shares |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by xxxx999jon: 9:34am On Apr 28 |
What's the meaning of this ugly looking camouflage our police are wearing. Also we already have a mobile police unit semi military police unit.. Why on earth will the police be wearing a camouflage in a public place. Plan stupidly. 1 Like |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by promami: 9:50am On Apr 28 |
Oga Tunji is everything an IG should be. From intelligence, to smartness, experience, training and looks, not like all those pot belly CP, AIG, DIG. Oga Tunji still look like a combatant and ready for any kind of wotowoto. This is how you know someone who has given his best and built a legacy given the kind of testimonies people are giving about his time as RRS commander. That aside, I'm yet to see any other state compete with Lagos in terms of security. State is operating on another level. See the kind of resources they made available just for one police division. The excellence is excellenting. No wonder many people think Nigeria begins and ends in Lagos. The state is on wavy level that you'll think Lagos is one big city without knowing it's a state with LGAs. God bless Lagos state and punish all those tribal bigots and criminals. 8 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by AlphaTaikun: 9:52am On Apr 28 |
naptu2:An insightful thread. Jimi Disu as well said a few weeks ago that Olatunji Disu is his direct cousin. |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Yampotatocarrot(m): 10:04am On Apr 28 |
RRS, the best police unit out there... Used to be filled with very professional operatives, even the way they address you, you go wan join police... Had very nice experiences with them Unfortunately, they're gradually becoming a shadow of themselves... Even their uniform that used to be sparkling clean is no becoming an eyesore... I think they've been infiltrated by the regular policemen as they also now partake in stop and search for money The new director, whoever he is, isn't doing well, needs to step up his game... There are these units that often set up checkpoints close to Opeki busstop and along NEPA busstop, all along Iyana-Ipaja - Ayobo road, those guys are giving a bad name to the RRS, mbok... Kudos to the ones stationed at Iyana-Ipaja under bridge, if not for them, the whole Papa Ashafa for don become another thing... I love the fact they regularly patrol the area just to keep the peace, even at night 2 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by peterboro: 10:28am On Apr 28 |
I so much love this man. But i am sad he's serving under the wrong people. Good people like him and Musa the current Minister of defence are rare leaders meant to be serving under an incorruptible leadership and not in this gangs. |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by Ishilove: 10:46am On Apr 28 |
Oh, it finally clicked. This is where i first got to learn of Tunji Disu, many years back. How time flies 2 Likes |
| Re: Tunji Disu Returns To Lagos RRS by NameChecker: 11:10am On Apr 28 |
In Ketu that year, we also received letters from robbers. |
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