James Sowole in Abeokuta
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday kicked started a three-day working visit to Ogun state with approval for creation of three more Area Commands in the state.
Egbetokun who arrived in the command’s headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta, in company of the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) zone ll, Olatoye Durosimi and the state commissioner of police, Abiodun Alamutu, gave the immediate approval while addressing stakeholders and the rank-and-file of the police force in the state
He charged officers of the command to step up their effort in fighting crime in the state, pledging to end kidnapping in the state.
The additional Area Commands are to be established in Ifo, Imeko and Ipokia areas of the state.
Egbetokun asked the stakeholders for more support for the police, in order to effectively combat crime in the state.
He said: “I have heard your request for an area command in Ifo and that request is hereby granted, we are not only stop at giving area command to Ifo, we will also give two area commands the two border areas – Idiroko and Imeko.
“On the issue of manpower, lack of vehicles and operational logistics for Ogun state command, I have whispered to the CP that he should give me the list of all the needs of the command and we are going to pay attention to all of them.
“The issue of kidnapping despite the high number of check points along the road and that the border areas are still porous, I want to assure that we are going to address that challenge, the CP is going to work on it.
“Whatever that we need to do to stop kidnapping in Ogun state, we are going to do it. The fact that there are few crimes being committed here and there does not affect the peaceful status of Ogun state.
“There is no state in Nigeria that is free of crime and I still maintain that one of the states that record the least is Ogun state, but that does not mean that we are going to accept the few crimes that are being committed in this state, we going to take appropriate action to ensure that we minimize the crime as much as possible”, the IG said.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu said Ogun remains one of the safest states in Nigeria despite having its fair share of insecurity challenges.
Alamutu said the IGP’s visit would reenergise officers and men for a better service delivery.
He promised that Police in Ogun command would remain loyal and committed to ideals and vission of the force.
Egbetokun, during the visit met with Governor Dapo Abiodun and also commissioned the newly built Ogun State Police Command’s headquarters, the technical intelligence unit, as well as the complaints unit, all within the premises of the command.
The IG was also expected to visit the four paramount rulers of Egba, Ijebu, Remo and Yewa.
