The Lagos State Security Trust Fund has trained security operatives to strengthen institutional collaboration, promote ethical professionalism, and support continuous retraining amid growing security challenges across the country.
The initiative was carried out during the third edition of the LSSTF two-day statewide inter-agency training programme for security operatives, held between Wednesday and Thursday in Lagos.
NGBREAKINGNEWS Metro gathered from a press release issued on Wednesday that the training programme, themed “Enhancing Professional Capacity, Ethical Standards and Inter-Agency Collaboration for Effective Security Operations,” is expected to equip over 1,000 operatives drawn from security and safety agencies serving in Lagos State between March and December 2026.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Director of Administration, LSSTF, Adegbola Lewis, who represented the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of LSSTF, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, said modern security threats require coordinated and intelligence-driven responses beyond institutional boundaries.
According to him, recent incidents, including rising cases of kidnappings and other security threats within the South-West, have heightened public concerns about the capacity of security institutions to respond effectively.
“The importance of this training programme cannot be overstated. Recent incidents, including the disturbing rise in kidnappings involving innocent citizens and schoolchildren in neighbouring states, alongside other emerging security threats, have heightened public anxiety and raised legitimate concerns regarding the capacity of institutions to effectively anticipate, prevent, and respond to security challenges, Lewis said.
He added that security agencies can no longer operate in isolation.
“Security is no longer the responsibility of any single agency acting in isolation. Modern security threats are dynamic and interconnected and often require coordinated responses that transcend institutional boundaries,” he stated.
Lewis explained that the initiative was designed to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, professionalism, ethical standards, and operational effectiveness among security personnel.
He also disclosed that modules on financial literacy and medical wellness were incorporated into the programme to address the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of officers.
The event attracted senior officers and representatives from various security and emergency agencies, including the Lagos State Police Command, Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, and other agencies.
Delivering remarks at the event, the Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (retd.), commended the LSSTF leadership for sustaining support for security agencies in the state.
“What you have built here is more than an institution; it is a lifeline for the safety architecture of Lagos State,” Cole said.
He stressed that environmental disorder and poor sanitation often contribute to criminal activities, adding that security and public well-being remain interconnected.
“You cannot have security without public well-being. The safety of the public depends on the discipline, competence, and welfare of the men and women who serve on the frontlines,” he stated.
Also speaking, Assistant Commissioner of Police Oluwatoyin Kazeem, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, urged participants to maximise the training opportunity to improve professionalism and collaboration among agencies.
One of the facilitators at the event, Prof. Martin Obono of the University of Ibadan, warned that many confrontations involving security personnel and civilians stem from poor emotional management and inadequate capacity building.
“You are with a gun; you are already extremely powerful. But they have not been exposed to emotional management, self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, and social skills,” he said.
Obono also advised officers to embrace financial discipline and long-term planning to prepare for life after service.
General Manager of Globus Training and Advisory Limited, Desmond Nnebue, said previous editions of the training have yielded measurable improvements in emotional intelligence, ethical professionalism, and public diplomacy among participants.
“We want inter-agency collaboration so that agencies no longer see themselves as rivals on the field,” Nnebue stated.
On the health and wellness aspect of the programme, the Executive Director and Deputy Director of Clinical Services at Anantis Paediatric and Multispecialist Hospital, Dr Diya Alade Oluwadamola, urged security personnel to prioritise routine medical checks, stress management, and healthy living.
“Our men are being ignored in many wellness conversations,” she said. “Your spirit, your soul, your mind, and your body must come together in harmony to give you total health.”
