…Unit heads Levy themselves to fix problem where authorities failed
…Intelligence activities suffer delay as nauseating odor takes toll on efficiency
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]enin City – An outbreak of epidemic looms at the Edo State Police Command Headquarters in the state capital, as operatives and visitors battle with the odious stench emanating from spilled sewage inside the compound of the Command.Intelligence activities have continued to suffer unnecessary delay as the nauseating odor intermittently forces some officers out of their offices on daily basis.
Visitors and relatives of suspects detained or under interrogation are not spared by the stench as their movement in and out of the affected offices obviously to take fresh air, is said to be disturbing.
The worst hit offices include Surveillance, Firearms, Homicide, legal, Anti-fraud, Anti-Vehicle Theft Section (AVTS) and the State CID Charge Room block where the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of investigation DCP Peter Okoh, is located.
Our investigation revealed that the sewage spills from exposed pipes and poorly constructed soak-away and safety chambers of the two maximum cells inside the premises of the SCIID.
It was further scooped that some heads of the affected units had earlier levied themselves to effect fixing the problem, but to no avail because the contents of soak-away require total evaluation and the relay of the pipes.
Further investigation revealed that the last time the SCIID experienced renovation was in 2015/2016 by individual donors and corporate bodies as presently, office equipment and other materials in the facility desire replacements.
Our reporter’s Checks also disclosed that remarkable renovation and construction at the Edo State Police Command Headquarters were recorded in 2012 when CP Olayinka Balogun (rtd) was in charge for about seven months.
Notable among his renovation, reconstruction and construction were the Oba Akenzua Conference Hall, reconstruction of the main gate of the command and that of the SCIID.
However, while operatives at SCIID deal with oozing office environment, it is fresh and hygienic atmosphere for others at the same state police command headquarters in Benin City.
It was also observed that the block housing the offices of the state commissioner of police CP Johnson Kokumo, his second in command DC Danjuma Lawal and its surrounding received a facelift recently.
Efforts to obtain comments from CP Johnson Kokumo and the command spokesman DSP Chidi Nwabuzor failed.
A question on whose responsibility it is to maintain the Command sent to the telephone number of the CP was yet to be replied at press time.
