Matilda Omonaiye/
The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Yemi Oyeniyi, has intensified efforts to combat crime by convening a strategic security meeting with transport unions, drivers, park operators and other stakeholders across the state, warning that criminal gangs are increasingly exploiting the transport sector to move arms, illicit drugs and kidnapping ransom payments.
The high-level engagement, held today in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, brought together representatives of Local Government Chairmen, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (COMTOA), Tipper Union, transport company operators and other critical stakeholders.
Addressing participants during the meeting, CP Oyeniyi commended transport unions for their support and cooperation with the Police Command, noting that intelligence gathering and stop-and-search operations had continued to yield operational successes across Delta State.
The police boss disclosed that Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers had also been directed to sustain similar engagements within their jurisdictions as part of a broader community-policing strategy aimed at strengthening public safety.
According to him, the meeting became necessary to educate transport operators on evolving criminal tactics and deepen collaboration between the police and transport stakeholders in tackling insecurity.
He warned that criminal elements often take advantage of poorly monitored transport systems to perpetrate crimes, stressing that effective passenger documentation and properly organised motor parks would significantly aid security operations.
The CP specifically urged transport operators and park managers to maintain accurate manifests containing passengers’ phone numbers and addresses, saying such records could become critical in crime investigations and prevention.
He also cautioned against the activities of touts and persons with questionable backgrounds operating within motor parks, while condemning the growing practice of picking passengers along roadsides instead of designated loading points.
According to him, roadside passenger pickups expose commuters to attacks by criminals and make effective monitoring difficult for security agencies.
CP Oyeniyi further appealed to stakeholders to provide credible intelligence to the police and ensure that illicit drug activities and other criminal acts were not tolerated within parks and loading points across the state.
Speaking during the engagement, the Delta State Chairman of NURTW, Chief Francis Arhiyor, identified passengers’ refusal to allow parcel checks and reluctance to provide accurate personal details in manifest logs as major security challenges confronting transport operators.
He called for sustained public sensitisation through radio, television and social media campaigns to educate commuters on the importance of passenger identification and parcel screening.
Also speaking, Comrade Nnamdi Odiwe, representing the Oshimili South Local Government Chairman, warned against the proliferation of illegal roadside parks, describing them as security risks that require urgent monitoring by both government authorities and security agencies.
In his closing remarks, CP Oyeniyi assured stakeholders that the engagement would be continuous, adding that stronger community collaboration remained vital to implementing effective crime-reduction strategies across Delta State.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Delta State Police Command to increased visibility policing on roads and waterways, while appreciating stakeholders for their contributions toward improving security in the state.
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