Ololade Adeyanju/
More crime fighters drawn from various police units have arrived in Ondo, Oyo, and Osun states under Zone XI Command to keep criminals at bay.
According to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone XI, Mr Leye Oyebade who vowed that his men would henceforth be ruthless with criminals, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has approved the deployment of additional units of mobile policemen earlier deployed and a detachment of his Intelligence Response Team to complement existing security apparatus put in place.
Addressing a press conference today at the Zone XI police headquarters in Osogbo, Oyebade said that the additional security measures were being put in place to check the menace of kidnapping and other heinous crimes along the highways.
He said, “As you are aware, there have been few security challenges in some parts of the Zone lately. Though challenges of kidnap for ransom is not peculiar to this part of the country, however, we rose to the occasion immediately to allay the fear of the people whose precious lives and valuable property we have the constitutional mandate to protect and which we must protect.
“Having reacted appropriately to kidnap incidents especially along Ibadan/Ife and Ife/Ilesa/Akure Expressways, we have taken proactive steps further to address these incidents by deploying additional personnel to fortify these flashpoints and other highways in the zone.
“Last week, we promised to put in place necessary security measures to check the menace of kidnapping and other heinous crimes along the highways. Such promise was not just made as another rhetoric. We have walked the talk. We have matched our words with actions with the recent review and overhauling of our security architecture. In doing this we have not only identified the major flashpoints, but we have also deployed additional personnel to them. These include PMF personnel drawn from outside the Zone.
“To complement the existing security already emplaced, we have also deployed more patrol teams of the Safer Highway, the Operation Puff Adder, and the Intelligence Unit. All these backed by support from the Inspector-General of Police who has graciously approved the deployment of additional units of mobile policemen earlier deployed and a detachment of his Intelligence Response Team to complement existing security apparatus put in place.
“As part of sustained efforts to rejig our security architecture, I have just had a serious strategic meeting with the three Commissioners of Police in the Zone, the Area Commanders and DPOs having jurisdiction over places where there were recent security challenges. At the said meeting, we had a fruitful engagement with leaders of the Fulani and Hausawa domiciled in the affected areas as well as leaders of their host communities and other critical stakeholders. We have also extended invitation to the leadership of Miners Associations in the Zone.
“With these arrangements, and with the expected support of the three state governors, the Zonal Security Stakeholders’ Forum and other critical stakeholders, members of the public can now heave a sigh of relief believing that heinous crimes and other sundry crimes will be curtailed in the Zone. We, therefore, urge them to support us trusting in our ability to protect them at all times. They could reach us and give us useful, and credible but timely information using our various contact numbers earlier given out to them.
“As for the criminal elements whose activities have continued to be pains in the fragile necks of law-abiding citizens, we already have an antidote for their ailment – ruthless confrontation. And we shall continue to confront them until they are finally flushed out of Ondo, Osun and Oyo states so that the peace for which the three states are known will not elude us.”
