Amid worsening insecurity in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki has expressed dismay that no reasonable progress has been made in the investigations into the jailbreaks that greeted the #EndSARS protests in the state last year.
Obaseki, therefore tasked the Commissioner of Police, Philip Ogbadu to ensure that the state is free of crime, noting that government will work closely with the Force to provide adequate security for Edo residents.
The governor gave the charge during a meeting with the Police Commissioner at Government House in Benin City, the state capital on Sunday.
“The situation where almost 2,000 inmates were released from our Correctional centres and no progress made in re-arresting them is worrisome. The circumstances of the jailbreaks are questionable and I have not seen any report or enquiry into the jail breaks. No visible disciplinary action has been taken against culpable law enforcement personnel,” he said.
He added, “The elections are over and we will not tolerate any criminal action in the name of politics. Politics should not cover up crime. I am handing over to you the state security incident analysis which contains data on crimes in the state. It provides a clear picture of what is going on in the state but no system is in place to support the state government to check crimes.”
According to the Governor, between July 1st 2020 to December 1st 2020, “Edo State recorded 108 kidnapping cases and 100 robbery cases which have not been resolved. We want to commit to providing the resources and work closely with you to monitor the way the resources are managed.
“We will sit with you to manage security on a daily basis. People should know that there is government and police in the state. It will no longer be business as usual.
“The Police are expected to work with the state government to ensure that the state is free of criminal elements. As the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, your primary responsibility is to the Edo people. Make the presence of the Police felt across the state,” Obaseki added.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogbadu, said he would work with the state government to check the crime rate and ensure a crime-free society.
He said: “We would do our best to ensure the state is crime-free and there will be changes in the state. 54 firearms were stolen during #EndSARS protest and only 8 of the arms have been recovered.
“We will do our best in ensuring all the arms are recovered. Stationary vehicles should be in strategic positions awaiting distress calls from citizens.”
