LAGOS, Nigeria, September 29, 2026: Lagos State Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday held a security council meeting with senior security commanders at the State House, Marina, Lagos, as Lagos prepared to receive President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and manage increased movement linked to Independence Day, political, religious and cultural activities.

The meeting brought together the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Tijani Olaiwola Fatai; Commander, 9 Brigade, Brigadier General A.O. Owolabi; Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu; Commander, 651 Base Services Group, Ikeja, Air Commodore M.A. Imam; and Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Ayodele Ogunsan.

Also read: Tinubu ends working vacation, returns to Lagos

Chief of Staff to the Governor Tayo Ayinde, Secretary to the State Government Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Lawal Pedro also attended the meeting.

According to Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso, the governor received briefings on security operations and plans for strengthening the state’s security architecture ahead of the period of heightened activity.

Sanwo-Olu assured residents and visitors that the state government would continue taking measures to protect lives and property and prevent criminal activity.

“We will not relent on our efforts to ensure that criminals don’t find a place for their evil activities in our state,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The meeting came as President Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Tuesday after a four-week working vacation in Europe.

The President is expected to spend the Independence period in Lagos and participate in activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

Tinubu’s planned Lagos stay is expected to run through Thursday, October 1, when he will mark Independence Day and deliver a nationwide broadcast.

A public lecture has also been scheduled in Lagos as part of the anniversary programme.The presidential visit is taking place against a wider backdrop of increased activity in Lagos.

The state government said religious and cultural programmes, political engagements and the approaching Yuletide period would bring additional movement across the metropolis.

The timing is also significant for security planning because the Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the commencement of campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lagos is expected to experience increasing political activity as parties and candidates begin more public engagements.

For Sanwo-Olu’s administration, the meeting reflects an established approach of bringing the state’s security agencies together to assess emerging risks and coordinate responses.

The Lagos State Security Trust Fund has also remained an important part of the state’s security framework.

The fund, established in 2007, supports security agencies through contributions from government and the private sector, including equipment and operational assistance.

Sanwo-Olu has previously cited the model while discussing broader debates around policing and community security.

Security cooperation between the state government and law-enforcement agencies has continued throughout 2026.

In May, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 2, Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, commended the Lagos government for its support to the police, particularly in logistics, operational assistance and welfare initiatives.

The state’s preparations also come as Sanwo-Olu has continued to place security alongside economic development and public infrastructure in discussions about Lagos’s future.

In a September 3 address on the 2027 elections, the governor argued that economic opportunity and public safety were closely connected, while highlighting Lagos’s experience with community-based security initiatives.

For residents, however, the immediate concern is likely to be practical: maintaining safe movement and public order as Lagos hosts high-profile national events while the city prepares for a busier final quarter of the year.

The government has not announced a general restriction on movement arising from the President’s visit. Instead, the emphasis from the security meeting was on coordination, vigilance and ensuring that the increased activity does not create opportunities for criminal elements.

Tinubu’s arrival also places Lagos at the centre of the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary programme for the second consecutive year.

The President similarly spent the 2025 Independence period in the state.

Also read: Tinubu ends working vacation, returns to Lagos

With political, cultural, religious and festive activities converging, the security council’s latest review provides an important test of Lagos’s ability to manage a particularly busy period while maintaining the sense of safety required by residents, businesses and visitors.