Ololade Adeyanju/
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, yesterday, kicked off the celebration of his administration’s first year in office with the inauguration of the Police Mobile Force (PMF 72) Squadron at Ago-Are, in Oke-Ogun axis of the state.
The squadron is headed by a crack detective and gallant police officer, Prince Akinade Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Adejobi, as officer in-charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at the Lagos State Police Command and later as Commander of the Special Anti Kidnapping and Cultism Squad coordinated the special operation, alongside operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response Squad, which resulted in the famous capture of notorious kidnap kingpin, Chukwudi Onuamadike (aka Evans or billionaire kidnapper) in 2017.
It was this feat that led to his being recommended for promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, said Makinde also presented six JAC pick-up vans to the squadron.
According to the statement, Makinde said his administration remained committed to ensuring the safety and security of lives and property of the citizens of the state.
The statement further quoted the governor as saying that he made a request for the PMF 72 Squadron in August 2019, appreciating the Inspector-General of Police for cutting bureaucratic bottlenecks to grant approval for the squadron.
He commended the officers of the squadron for the positive testimonies he has so far heard about them, urging them to be efficient in the discharge of their duties.
He added that his government will ensure the speedy completion of the permanent site for the unit.
“I am glad that we are together today, to officially commence the operations of PMF 72. How did we give birth to the squadron? I made a request on the 19th of August, 2019 to the Inspector General of Police, which was less than three months after we came into office, because security is one of the pillars of this administration.
“As I have always stated, the safety and security of lives and properties of the people of Oyo State is a top priority for this administration. It took me and the entourage about two hours to get here. And if we are to go to Kisi, it would take another two to three hours from here to get there. That is how vast Oyo State is. Oyo State is bigger than some countries in Africa. To cover the entire state, of course, we need personnel, logistics, and agile police mobile force and that is why we have PMF 72.
“From all the technical evaluation that was done, Ago-Are in the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State became the choice. I want to thank you, Kabiyesi. Kabiyesi just mentioned in his speech now and I have seen the site for the permanent location of this squadron. He donated a 1km by 1km site and I give you the commitment of the government of Oyo State to speedily ensure that this place is well-developed, because the welfare of the squadron is very important.
“Let me also emphasise that, for this administration, there is a very strong commitment to security and we would do everything within our power to ensure that our people go about their businesses in a safe and secure environment. The rehabilitation of this temporary site was done in record time and I thank everyone including the commander of this squadron for the work that you did to ensure that this is completed speedily and made habitable,” Makinde said.
The governor added that his administration would commit more resources to ensure security in the state, stating that apart from the six operational vehicles being presented to the PMF 72 Squadron in addition to the two initially given to them, the government would also provide them with motorcycles and ensure that the logistics for its operation is well-developed.
“I cannot end this address without charging you the officers to be efficient in the discharge of your duties. And why did I harp on efficiency? This is because when we came in, the naysayers said, within six months, they would probably be stoning us. But now, it is going to be one year in a matter of two days but the people are not stoning us. It is because we have decided to manage the resources of the state efficiently. The resources are limited but when wastages are cut and you are efficient, with that limited resources, it would give us a whole lot of mileage,” he added.
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shina Olukolu, said the inauguration of PMF 72 Squadron demonstrated the fulfilment of the promise made by the governor to protect the lives and property of the people of the state.
He explained that the establishment of PMF 72 at Ago-Are would entrench the principles and strategy of community policing, which is part of the government’s policy thrust at combating crimes and criminality as well as taking policing to the people.
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