The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of South-west, Sylvester Alabi, has suggested that engaging religious and community leaders could assist in curbing the increasing levels of kidnapping and other crimes in the region.
He also said there was a need for professionalism among police officers to completely eradicate the issues of kidnapping and other criminalities in the zone.
Mr Alabi, who spoke while addressing the officers of the Ondo State command in Akure, stressed that the time had come for police officers to engage community and religious leaders to tackle criminality in the society.
According to him, his visitation was on the directive of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to all the zonal DIGs to assess security situations in their respective zones.
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The police chief noted that fighting crime in the South-west had yielded positive results, but there was the need to do more.
“When something happens unexpectedly, it is the duty of the officer to go back to the drawing board and re-strategise. Policing is not a tea party, it is a very serious, tedious, physical and mentally challenging job.
“So, it’s a job that entails total commitment and total dedication, because we owe members of the public a duty to secure their lives and properties,” he said.
Mr Alabi observed that the South-west remained one of the most peaceful zones in the country today. However, he warned the officers not to be carried away in order not to get embarrassed.
“So, it’s time for you to double your efforts and ensure the pockets of occasional kidnapping and armed robbery being experienced becomes a thing of the past. We need to sit down and do serious planning to completely eradicate any incident of kidnapping in Ondo State,” he said.
Mr Alabi called on police officers to imbibe the ethics of the job, saying corruption and extortion would not be condoned.
“As police officers, you can do your job and earn a good job without delving into all those unprofessional and unethical conducts. I am admonishing you to desist from that. It is better for you to attract goodwill for yourself from well-meaning Nigerians.
“If you do your job diligently and show that you are a man of integrity, you will be loved by people and gain more confidence and trust from them,” he said.
In his remarks, Abiodun Asabi, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 17, assured the DIG that the zone would continue to fall in line with the agenda of the IGP.
“We are not going to rest on the accolades that our zone is the most peaceful in the country, we will continue to push our zone more to be free from any form of criminality,” Mr AIGsaid.
The Commissioner of Police in Ondo state, Abayomi Oladipo, said the command had mapped out plans to ensure that the state was devoid of actions that could heat up the polity ahead of the 16 November 2024 governorship election in the state.
Mr Oladipo explained that he had a meeting with political stakeholders and all relevant organisations involved in electoral activities, and called on politicians to warn their supporters against causing chaos in the state.
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