Kidnapping: NBA, Others Seek Transfer of Ondo Police Commissioner

Kidnapping: NBA,  Others  Seek  Transfer of Ondo Police Commissioner

James Sowole in Akure

The Elders Council of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akure, Ondo State branch yesterday joined other groups calling for the Cimmissioner of Police, Mr Gbenga Adeyanju to be transferred out iof the state over incessant cases of robberies and kidnappings.

Citizen is the latest among several groups to demand the removal of the Commissioner in- charge of the Ondo State Police Command, Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, for alleged
The call of the NBA council came after a group Sunshine Liberation Forum (SLF) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State, had called for the removal of the police commissioner due to the security situation in the Sunshine State. They accused the commissioner of poor handling of frequent cases of kidnappings in the state. The NBA Elders Council made the call after rising from an emergency meeting of past and present chairmen and secretaries as well as leaders of the bar in the state.

Addressing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the leader of the council, Senator Anthony Adeniyi said the police commissioner had shown that he could not handle the spate of crimes in the state especially kidnapping of lawyers and other members of the public on Akure-Owo-Ikare Akoko Highways and Akure-Iju-Ikere Ekiti road.

Adeniyi, flanked by the NBA Akure Branch Chairman, Mr Ola Dan-Olawale and a former State Attorney General of the state, Remi Olatubora, said from all the association’s findings, it was obvious that the Inspector General of police must deploy a more competent top officer to Ondo State to flush-out kidnappers from the forests where travellers were being frequently abducted in the state.

“We are not saying the police commissioner is not competent but Ondo State people demand for a more competent top officer who can tackle this spate of kidnapping that is causing serious apprehension among our members (lawyers), their family members and the generality of the people in the state. We can no longer move or travel around freely and the police seem to be doing nothing or not doing enough to stop this trend.

“Some states have more than eight commissioner of police in a year, just to ensure security of lives and property, nobody is tied permanently to Ondo State, we unequivocally demand the redeployment of the state commissioner of police, we are not happy with the level insecurity in our state. If this is not done on time, we shall take a more drastic action”, Adeniyi said.

However, the lawyers commended the state governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the Nigerian Army and other security operatives for their efforts in tackling crimes in the state

“After taking a briefing from one of pur members, Hon Taofeeq Abdulsalam (Ondo State Commissioner for Works) on what the Akeredolu’s administration is doing to tackle the kidnapping issue, we are satisfied with efforts of the state government and the army to protect lives and property.

“ The governor is sensitive to the security of lives and properties of the people but we are not happy with the roles of the police in the whole situation”, he said.

Other groups such the Owo Branch of NBA, the Sunshine Liberation Front (SLF), Ondo Youths for Good Governance, (OYGG) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had also asked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris to redeploy Adeyanju and replace him with a more competent officer, saying the police in the state had failed to protect lives and properties of the citizenry.

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