The Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 11, Fred Ekokotu, has assured the people of Oyo of their safety, just as he enjoined them to go about their lawful duties without any fear.
The AIG Zone 11 gave the assurance on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the headquarters of the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, as part of his two-day duty tour to the command.
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He was received by the Commissioner of Police, Johnson Adenola, joined by other security heads and representatives from the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Air Force, Nigeria Immigration Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Customs Service and Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority.
Also present were leaders of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC); National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS); Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), who also represented the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin; and the Iyaloja of Ibadan.
Addressing the gathering, AIG Ekokotu said that Oyo is calm and would continue to be, with the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, on top of all security situation.
He charged the stakeholders, including other security agencies in the state, on the need to ensure peace and safety, saying that there can be no achievement under chaos, as security is the bedrock of development in any society.
Pointing out that the goal of all security agencies is one, the AIG Zone 11 urged those in the state to join hands with the Commissioner of Police for him to perform to the benefit of all and sundry.
He appreciated the good work the Oyo CP had been doing by carrying out the IGP’s vision, which is to make sure everywhere in Nigeria is safe for all to live and carry out their day-to-day lawful duties.
He warned criminals to leave the state, as the Commissioner of Police had declared it hit and unsafe for crime and criminality.
He urged the residents to always give credible information which, according to him, is important for effective policing.
He added that his coming was also to intimate the Olubadan of Ibadan on steps being taken on Ibadan-Iwo boundary dispute, appealing to the monarch to talk to his subjects to allow peace to reign.
On inadequate manpower, he said that President Bola Tinubu approved the recruitment of 10,000 policemen two or three times a year, which is ongoing.
He stated further that training is being carried out in various police colleges and training schools, saying that when they pass out, the newly recruited policemen would bolster the strength of police commands.
In his welcome speech, the Commissioner of Police, Johnson Adenola, acknowledged the commitment of AIG Ekokotu to maintaining peace and tranquility in Oyo and Osun states which are within the zonal command.
The CP particularly commended the efforts of the AIG in resolving the protracted dispute between communities in Lagelu Local Government Area in Oyo and Iwo LGA in Osun through numerous interventions.
He expressed joy that the efforts had yielded positive results, with a greater assurance of peace in the area of conflict.
Speaking on the overall security situation in the state, the commissioner of police acknowledged the challenges being faced like other parts of the federation, which included armed robbery, murder, farmer-herder conflicts, kidnapping, and other crimes such as land grabbing.
He noted the inadequate strength of police officers and men to maintain law and order in the state, requesting for deployment of additional officers to the Command to bridge the gap between current strength and the state population.
“This will enable us to respond more effectively to security threats and provide necessary protection to our citizens.
“Furthermore, we humbly appeal that the AIG use his office to monitor and discourage personnel transfers from the Command.
“When transfers are unavoidable, we kindly request that the AIG ensure timely replacements to maintain our operational effectiveness and prevent adverse impacts on our operations due to manpower shortages,” CP Adenola added.
He said that on assumption of duty in the state Command, he conducted an immediate assessment and implemented a strategic eight-point action plan tailored towards the specific needs of the state residents and focused on responsive policing.
Some of the action plans, he stated, include strict enforcement of all existing laws, capacity building for police officers through training and retraining, advanced intelligence and technology-driven policing, increased layers of supervision for the officers and men of the Command, and implementation of inclusive policing strategy, with emphasis on community engagements, and robust inter-agency collaborations with sister services and civil society organisations.
He also spoke on significant strides in community engagement and crime control made under his leadership, while he also appreciated other security agencies and state security apparatuses, notably the Amotekun corps, which, through cooperation, had helped in bridging the manpower shortage and aided police efforts in ridding the state of undesirable elements.
The AIG, accompanied by the CP and other police officers, on Thursday, paid a courtesy call on the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Ọba Ghandi Afọlábí Oladunni Ọláoyè and the Alaafia of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade.