Edo State Police Command in collaboration with vigilantes and local hunters have concluded plans to commence tactical surveillance of forest suspected to be hideouts of notorious herdsmen and other criminals in the state.
The exercise, according to the state Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, was aimed at smoking out all manner of criminals from the urban and rural communities in the state to enable farmers go to farms.
The Police Commissioner urged them to provide information on forest and bushes suspected to be haven for notorious fulani herdsmen and other criminal elements in their domains.
He warned local vigilante groups in the state against recruiting criminals or ex-cultists as part of their team.
Gwandu who spoke at a stakeholders meeting with traditional rulers, hunters and vigilante groups said his command would not tolerate any vigilante group caught working with those he termed misguided elements.
He said the criminals would hide under vigilante to commit crimes in the state.
Gwandu told the traditional rulers that plans were on the way to flush out criminal herdsmen from various forest in the state.
The state police boss assured the gathering that any corrupt police officers found culpable would dismissed from the force.
“Edo police command under my watch would not tolerate corruption coming from any angle. I didn’t ask anybody to extort money from one and you don’t have to be corrupt while doing your job.
“Government is showing serious concern about the activities of herdsmen in the state through joint forces combing the forest to flush out criminal elements in herdsmen.”
Leaders of hunters, vigilant groups and representatives of traditional rulers expressed their readiness to sustain the partnership as security in their various communities is paramount.
Amongst those who spoke at the gathering are the representative of Otaru of Auchi Alhaji Usman Abuda, Chief Raymond Okpai and Chief Sunday Omonua of Ekpoma Kingdom.
(The Nation)
