Ololade Adeyanju/
Police commitments to the security of lives and properties in Nigeria was highlighted Wednesday, when the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Leye Oyebade in charge of Zone XI visited Saki Area Command in Oyo State.
Oyebade, who met with officers, community leaders, and other stakeholders in Saki, spoke about the millstones and milestones in the war against criminals in Zone XI which comprises Oyo, Osun and Ondo.
Oyebade said, “I will like to reiterate the concern and commitment of the police hierarchy in addressing security challenges in some parts of the country. Just recently, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, NPM, mni supported the zone with some vehicles and additional personnel to man strategic flashpoints where there have been security challenges lately. The successes recorded by our operatives under the Operation Puff Adder activities and the gains of the Zone XI Security Stakeholders’ Forum must be sustained, in re-assuring all and sundry that protection of lives and property of the citizenry is our priority.
“I assure you that all your fears have been allayed. At a South West security summit held in Ibadan on 25th June 2019, kidnapping and other heinous crimes formed the nucleus of discussion. We made our position known during my presentation. Governors and other critical stakeholders in attendance were also unanimous in their decision to address the security situation in this region headlong.”
Here is the full text of AIG Oyebade’s speech:
SPEECH DELIVERED BY AIG ADELEYE O. OYEBADE, mni ASSISTANT INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE, ZONE XI, OSOGBO DURING A ONE-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO SAKI AREA COMMAND, OYO STATE
Protocol
It is with great honour and privilege that I address you here today. This visit is in furtherance of my official tour of some places under my area of responsibility. The purpose of the visit is to address officers and men and to determine their level of preparedness for the security challenges of their respective areas of duty. I must admit that in all the places I have visited, the policemen have demonstrated commitment and dedication to duty. I have identified their strengths and challenges. Some of these challenges have been transmitted to the Inspector-General of Police.
More importantly this visit affords me an ample opportunity to assess security especially at the border. Be informed that it is the desire and the willingness of the President and the Inspector –General of Police to put an end to the spate of kidnapping, banditry and other heinous crimes in the country. In doing this, it is our resolve having realized the need to effectively upgrade how to Police our border communities and constantly check infiltration of criminals into the country. It is also our determination to ensure control of illegal arms proliferation through the border.
Apart from policing the border, we are also adding impetus to our security aims and objectives. Given necessary logistic support, we plan to carry out aerial surveillance using well equipped modern helicopter. We are also determined to police the water fronts. This is because, intelligence has revealed that criminals after perpetrating heinous crimes on the hinterland, often escape through the waterways.
I will like to reiterate the concern and commitment of the police hierarchy in addressing security challenges in some parts of the country. Just recently, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, NPM, mni supported the zone with some vehicles and additional personnel to man strategic flashpoints where there have been security challenges lately. The successes recorded by our operatives under the Operation Puff Adder activities, and the gains of the Zone XI Security Stakeholders’ Forum must be sustained, in re-assuring all and sundry that protection of lives and property of the citizenry is our priority.
I assure you that all your fears have been allayed. At a South West security summit held in Ibadan on 25th June, 2019, kidnapping and other heinous crimes formed the nucleus of discussion. We made our position known during my presentation. Governors and other critical stakeholders in attendance were also unanimous in their decision to address security situation in this region headlong.
Though the police is the lead agency in internal security, notwithstanding, the fight against criminals and other anti-social vices cannot be left in the hands of the police alone hence the need for collaboration with other sister agencies and relevant stakeholders. Therefore it is absolutely imperative to continue to have significant engagement with our partners among whom you are.
We have embraced, as part of our policing strategy, community policing as a policing model. Community policing encompasses public partnership, intelligence gathering and interagency collaboration. Every police officer has been properly informed to imbibe the philosophy and principles of this policing model. Therefore as police officers we must not distance ourselves from the community we serve. We must at all times engage relevant stakeholders in the community in the interest of peace and security. I wish to call on our revered traditional rulers, chiefs, community leaders, individuals, corporate organisations and other stakeholders to collaborate with the police so as to serve them better.
The collaboration we seek should manifest in form of readiness to give to the Police useful and credible information about activities of criminals and other undesirable elements who inflict unimaginable physical, psychological and emotional pains in others. Be rest assured that whatever useful information given to the police will be treated with utmost confidentiality.
I am glad to inform you that we have built a robust, mutual relationship with the public over time. The collaboration has helped immensely as this has resulted into various achievements recorded in Ondo, Osun and Oyo States. Achievements in the area of arrest of kidnap and armed robbery suspects, arrest of suspected ritualists, recovery of large chunk of arms and ammunition, stolen vehicles and other valuable property from criminals thereby putting a smile once again on the faces of victims who had lost hope of ever recovering their lost property. These plethora of achievements we have recorded within the short period of our assumption of duty are just a tip of the iceberg. We will do more. We will continue to protect you and your valuable property. Just play your part, and we will continue to play our part.
Thank you for the warm reception. Thank you for your rapt attention. God bless.
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