The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Muhammadu Adamu, has restated his plans to improve the security architectures in the southwest.
Part of the strategies, he said, is his plan to partner with the Aare Gani Adams-led members of the Oodua Peoples Congress(OPC) to reduce the spate of insecurity in the southwest.
Speaking yesterday at the southwest geo-political security summit, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan,Oyo state, the police boss, highlighted the plans of the police to use human and technology- driven measures to fight the scourge in the region.
The IGP, however, admitted the need for community policing, stating that the police will do everything that is possible to nip the scourge in the bud
“We are here today for security reasons. We are here today to build trust, in order to salvage the entire nation” .
“We are here today in response to the emerging security trend in the southwest. We have been evaluating and re-evaluating our operational strategies while strengthening our institutional capacity in relation to the generation of actionable intelligence and the conduct of special operations directed at proactively responding to criminal situations across the country”
“The police is here today to advance the principle of community policing in order to strengthen partnership between the monarchs, community leaders and the police” .
” We are ready to galvanize our approach towards restoring security and order across the country ,”
Assuring the southwest governors of his readiness to address the security problems in the region, Adamu gave figures, including the scorecard of the Nigeria Police Force between January and August, 2019, saying a total of 1,154 kidnapping suspects, and 2,015 armed robbery suspects were arrested in the country within the period.
He spoke on how the new initiative will serve as immediate intervention to reduce insecurity in the southwest.
Meanwhile, the Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, in his speech, gave a thumbs up to the Inspector General of Police for the laudable initiative.
Iba Gani Adams commended the IGP for sending emissaries to solicit his support for crime-fighting in the South West and Nigeria at large, promising that he’s ready to partner with the police to ensure adequate security of lives and property in the country.
Aare Onakakanfo also reaffirmed his beliefs in the new approach to develop a better and lasting relationship between the OPC and the police. The recent move, he said, will help the police in getting adequate information and intelligent gathering.
“Let me applaud the IGP for this laudable initiative, it is a welcome development, that must be sustained. I want to also appreciate the Oyo state governor,Engineer Seyi Makinde, who is the host governor, for making the best impact on the burning issue of insecurity in the southwest. Let me say it clearly that I am ready to support and partner with the police authority in ensuring that the spate of insecurity in the country, especially, in the southwest is reduced drastically. We have done it before and we can still do it.I am ready to complement the recent efforts of the police.
Ealier, in his speech, Oyo state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde had expressed the plan of his government to build a strong security network in the state, saying his administration will mark the 100 days in office by providing one hundred vehicles designed to fight insecurity in the state.
The governor who later read the communique at the end of the summit on behalf his colleagues in the zone, stated that the IGP has “approved the deployment of special forces to be commanded by a Commissioner of Police, who will lead a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) team to support the crime-fighting initiative of the state commissioners of police.
“The executive governors of the South West geo-political zone have made commitment towards provision of more serviceable, fast-moving patrol vehicles in support of crime-fighting, which shall be launched in no distant future, to complement the available fleet.
“The traditional rulers have promised to join hands with the police to take the ongoing fight against heinous crime to the door steps of the criminals. The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), has equally agreed to partner with the police in fighting crime to bring it to the lowest ebb. The deployment of cutting-edge technology, like CCTV (Close Circuit Television) will be strengthened. Aerial surveillance of flashpoints across the South West Geo-political Zone to be sustained.
“In order to give effect to the community policing vision of the Nigeria Police Force, Community Policing Officers (CPOs) would be recruited from within the communities, where they reside. This will complement the police in law enforcement functions within their localities by performing low-risk and non-sensitive police functions.
“It’s agreed that the committee, consisting of policemen, the OPC led by Iba Gani Adams, and other security agencies,including the Miyetti Allah (Cattle Breeders Association) and the citizenry should be set up in each state to further discuss the modalities on reduction of crime and criminalities as it affects the states.”
Governor Seyi Makinde, who hosted the summit, and his counterpart from Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, personally graced the summit.
Also, deputy governors of Lagos (Dr. Obafemi Hamzat), Ogun (Mrs. Noimat Salako-Oyedele), Ekiti (Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi), and Ondo (Mr. Agboola Ajayi) represented Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Fayemi, and Rotimi Akeredolu, respectively at the summit.
The event was also attended by traditional rulers from the six states in the zone, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji Aje Ogungunniso I; and spokesperson of a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin,among others.
