The police high command has called on Governors of the South West geo-political zone and their counterparts nationwide to give the force more logistic support in order to ensure that the current spates of kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other forms of criminality become a thing of the past very soon.
Making the request in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Tuesday was the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the South West, DIG Taiwo Lakanu at a Security Summit attended by governors of Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos states as well as other stakeholders.
*L-R: Gov Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) , Gov Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Gov Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Gov Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Gov Seyi Makinde (Oyo)*
On assistance to the police, he said “We cannot but appreciate the support of the state governors. Your contributions in terms of logistic support to your respective states has added impetus to security and is largely responsible for the relative peace in the states.
* DIG Lakanu (3rd right), AIG Leye Oyebade (4th) and others with the Governors*
“However, there is still need for more support to enable us address our security challenges adequately. We all admit that there is a gap, and the need to find the missing link is the reason for the gathering.”
In his goodwill message, DIG Lakanu said the gathering was coming at the right time given the current security challenges confronting the nation.
“The gathering here today, made up of eminent personalities could not have been more apt for this time.
The gathering underscore the importance of security to social, economic and political life and stability and this is captioned in the constitutional provision that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. Chapter 2, section 14(b) CFRN 1999, so the meeting is for a common purpose, to discuss security challenges in the South West with a view to proffering solutions to them, ” he stated.
He noted that “The summit is expected to provoke ideas galvanized by pragmatic approaches to solving our security challenges. It is obvious that there is no nation that is insulated from crime and criminality, therefore security challenges are not peculiar to the South West or to Nigeria. It is the preponderance or prevalence that varies from one society to another. But what is important is the ability to address these issues headlong.”
DIG said he was ” particularly glad that we are now more conscious of the imperative of collaboration, the indispensability of common front to fight our common enemies who make lives miserable by their nefarious activities.”
He said ” Governors are central and their enviable roles pivotal to security of their states.
“The people are also cardinal in the overall security architecture. This is why everyone who desires peace, and adequate protection must establish with the police and other relevant security agencies, a symbiotic relationship that will foster, or engender the much desired peace and tranquility in our various communities.”
He disclosed that “As part of our efforts to address the security challenges in the south west, we have reviewed and improved on our security strategies across the country, dealing with the states according to their peculiar challenges.
“We have given additional PMF personnel, Intelligence Response Team, vehicles and other logistic support to Zone XI Osogbo to enable it deal with recent security challenges in some parts of Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.
“The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, NPM, mni in his usual concern for the security of this country recently launched the ‘Operation Puff Adder’ as a new operational outfit to complement existing security apparatus throughout the country. This outfit has since been replicated in all the 12 zones and the thirty-six states including the FCT.”
He reassured that “the Nigeria Police has emplaced frameworks that will facilitate the strengthening of Operation Puff Adder and ensure the sustenance of its gains. This includes plans directed at re-organising and re-launching the safer Highway and Safer City Models of Policing which will entail the acquisition of new fleet of vehicles that will be deployed to dominate the public space as well as the emplacement of CCTV and other cutting-edge technologies for city surveillance.”
The DIG said “The current attempts at adopting and implementing the concept of Community Policing also represents part of enduring strategies aimed at changing the policing narratives of the country. This will ensure the effective integration of the citizens to our internal security framework, guarantee the concept of policing by public consent and build partnership required to address peculiar communal threats.
“Since its inauguration, the new outfit has made very significant achievements in the fight against kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and other heinous crimes. In zone XI, the Security Stakeholders’ Forum was inaugurated on 25th April, 2019 to provide more encompassing platform for individuals, associations and corporate organisations to contribute meaningfully to the security of the zone.”