By Sunday Okobi
Concerned citizens of Edo State on Monday petitioned the National Assembly, the Inspector of General of Police (IG), Mr.
Ibrahim Idris, and the Police Service
Commission (PSC) as well as staged a peaceful protest over the worsening rate
of criminality in the state.
They demanded the immediate redeployment of the
current state Commissioner of Police
(CP), Mr. Haliru Gwandu, as earlier directed by the PSC.
Among other things, Gwandu is said to have been
overwhelmed by criminals and showed nonchalant attitude to tackling the deteriorating
security challenges across the state.
The stakeholders, mostly volunteers, further demanded
the deployment of a team of intelligence officers to work with a new
commissioner to ensure that crime related information is analysed intelligently
and used to process the arrest of criminals and all shades of criminality in
the state.
Addressing journalists during the protest march to
the National Assembly, and Police Headquarters,
the Coordinator of Edo State Concerned Citizens, Hon. Henry Okpamen,
said the group was worried over the spate of kidnapping, rape and murder in the
state, adding that "people can't go out with an assurance that they would
return back home."
He said not even the police are spared in the
current onslaught as three members of the rank and file were recently shot dead
by criminals.
The Edo group, while calling on the federal
government to intervene and arrest the situation, also demanded the immediate
deployment of police to all flashpoints within the state with special focus on
the waterways and adjoining communities.
Okpamen said there's a current confusion over the
police leadership in the state, a development which he said has given room for
uncertainty and some form of lawlessness.
He said the developmental objectives of the
administration led by the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, are being threatened
by Idris's refusal to replace Gwandu and return normalcy to the security
situation.
According to him, "This confusion is fueled
by the fact that the Edo people woke up on July 5, 2017, to see a statement
duly signed by the head, Press and Public Relations of the Police Service
Commission, one Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, to the effect that there is a change in the
leadership of the Police Command in the state.
"The statement was to the effect that Haliru
Gwandu would be replaced by one Mr. Johnson Babatunde Kokumo as the state Commissioner
of Police. Amazingly, to the consternation of Edo people and Nigerians, three
months since the announcement, the change has not been effected."
He added that the security situation under Gwandu
has degenerated to its lowest level in decades and "now probably worse
than when some parts of the South-South were overrun by the militants.
"Gwandu has failed to demonstrate expected
professional competence, knowledge and zeal towards securing the state and
mobilising his men towards achieving the key objectives of policing the state.”
The group coordinator said in most of the
kidnapping cases, the police commissioner had demonstrated unprofessional conducts
and often times, obstructed what would have been successful efforts to release
captives.
He also demanded an apology from the IG for not
showing adequate concern to the continuous insecurity in the state and
retaining an incompetent police officer as Commissioner of Police.
"He should see the plight of the Edo people;
take immediate steps to reassure them of safety of lives and property and
reverse the deteriorating morale among his officers and men in the state Police
Command," he added.
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