By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Hon. Babatunde Hunpe Executive Chairman of Badagry and LNSC Officer |
BADAGRY, LAGOS – The Badagry Local Government Council has strongly refuted viral social media reports alleging that its Chairman forcefully evicted personnel of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) over political disloyalty.
In a swift and detailed rejoinder released on Monday, May 18, 2026, the council administration described the online narrative as a "misleading and deliberately distorted" attempt to weaponize falsehoods following the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections.
According to the local government management, the temporary sealing of the LSNSC office was a purely administrative and security-driven measure sparked by an operational confrontation and subsequent assault on a council official, rather than political victimization.
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Badagry Council Chairman Babatunde Hunpe Allegedly Seals LNSC Security Office Over ‘Disloyalty’
The council revealed that the crisis began on the day of the primary election collation, during which strict security directives were enforced to restrict vehicular entry into the Local Government Secretariat due to the highly sensitive and tense nature of the exercise.
According to eye-witness accounts, the Badagry LSNSC Commander, Mr. Samson Zannu, arrived at the gate and insisted on driving his vehicle into the premises. When security personnel acting on orders politely denied him entry, Mr. Zannu reportedly became confrontational.
"Rather than comply professionally with the directive, Mr. Zannu became confrontational and engaged in altercations with officers on duty," the council’s official statement revealed. "Witnesses confirmed that he later returned to his vehicle and attempted to forcefully gain entry through the gate with the vehicle, thereby escalating an already tense security atmosphere."
The situation was temporarily de-escalated after a senior LASTMA officer from the State Operations Command intervened and contacted higher authorities, prompting Mr. Zannu to apologize and leave the scene peacefully.
The issue resurfaced during a routine security briefing on Monday morning, where concerns were raised about the need to maintain absolute discipline within the secretariat. To prevent further friction, council management collectively decided that LSNSC personnel should temporarily deploy directly to their field duty posts across the local government area, rather than assembling at the secretariat. As part of this arrangement, the on-site LSNSC office was ordered to remain sealed until Thursday.
However, the council stated that the directive was met with violent resistance, allegedly instigated by the commander.
“Unfortunately, rather than comply with this peace-driven administrative arrangement, the Commander allegedly instructed some personnel to resist the directive," the rejoinder stated. "In the process, the Supervisor for Environment was reportedly assaulted, slapped, and molested while carrying out official responsibilities.”
Senior political stakeholders and apex leaders present at the secretariat had to step in immediately to restore calm and prevent further disciplinary escalation against the embattled commander.
The local government has strongly cautioned political actors against using emotional propaganda to create artificial divisions within the Badagry federation. The administration maintained that the ruling party's primaries have nothing to do with standard institutional discipline.
No officer was sanctioned or targeted for their political affiliation or for supporting any specific aspirant.
No democratic rights were violated during the process.
The steps taken were purely preventative measures aimed at preserving law and order.
“It is therefore mischievous, irresponsible, and politically dishonest for anyone to twist these events into a false narrative of ‘political victimization’ or ‘punishment for supporting another aspirant,’ ” the statement concluded.
The council urged members of the public to completely disregard the sensationalized online publications, reiterating its unwavering commitment to democratic values, institutional neutrality, and the peaceful coexistence of all political factions in Badagry.