The Kogi State Police Commissioner Wilson Inalegu told newsmen in Lokoja that his men have overcome kidnappers escapades in spite of the few reported cases.
What has your command done to contain the menace of kidnappers in Kogi?
Kidnapping has come down drastically, in the time past in Kogi State on some days you can have more than two three cases. That is no longer the case, we had a long break, we never recorded anything in terms of kidnap untill recently when we had the unfortunate incidence of the killing of an Osun State Permanent Secretary in the Bureau of General services Mrs Olufunke Oluwakemi Kolawole and the kidnap of the niece of the Kogi State Chief Judge, Barrister Rabi Ozavize Ovosi.
I can tell you with all sense of modesty that we have fought kidnapping to a standstill. They will continue to make attempt but I assure you that those guys that committed the heinous crime of the kidnap and murder of Mrs. Kolawole the permanent secretary will be brought to book. We will not rest on our oars, whatever it takes we would get there.
On the night of 19th to 20th of July we had a kidnap case in Kabba, my officers didn’t wait for a report to be made, they heard a gun shot and they proceeded to the scene. Then the kidnappers had already left with the victim in the booth of his car, they gave them a hot chase but their vehicles brushed two okadas with injuries. And they opened the door and took to their heels into the nearby bush and the police rescued the victim from the booth unhurt. They recovered the machete that they used and some charms. The officers after combing the scene of the incidence got a lead and apprehended two of the suspect yesterday who mentioned two others, the four suspects are in custody as we speak. My officers have also arrested three kidnap suspects from Edo State who abducted a trailer driver last year, the trailer driver, smart guy identified the two of them, they have been apprehended.
We rescued a pastor last week who was kidnapped, my men stormed the den of the kidnappers where they had made a tent he was rescued and the suspect arrested. The suspect was kidnapped from Okpo and driven to Inye where we rescued him. What am I saying? Our desire is to end kidnapping totally in Kogi State but don’t forged we share common border with ten States FCT included, our hills and valleys, the thick bush. We are also in the bush now tracking deep into the forest and that is also keeping my officers fit. There is no hiding place for them because we will do everything possible to smoke them out and that we are doing. It is unfortunate for the death of Mrs Kolawole and kidnap of Barrister Rabi.
I give assurance that all the hoodlums involved in that kidnap would be apprehended, this morning we have picked two they are being interrogated in the CID, we are on the trail of the third and we are cooperating with sister agencies and public spirited individuals. I want to say that the public in Kogi State 99.9% are totally against crime and that is why they volunteer information. I recall on on March, 15th when we went with the Governor to demolish houses of kidnappers and other criminals it was a carnival like atmosphere, that tells you that these people don’t want crime. Just very negligible number are into crime but that is what it takes so we invite them to come and cooperate with us.
Kogi is a gateway state and flash point for kidnapping. What are you doing to arrest this serious security challenge?
I want to thank the Inspector General of Police who has been showing a lot of interest in the security of Kogi State. When the last incidence happened around Osara/Irekpeni, the IG called me, he wanted to know what we were doing about it and the kind of support we needed and I want say that he has been giving us support. The IG’s technical intelligence unit has been mobilised to support us. I spoke with Kyari, the DIG operations and he asked what we needed because of the importance the police management team led by Ibrahim K. Idris attach to the security of lives and property in the country and Kogi State in particular because of the strategic location.
I have somebody dedicated to Kogi that when we have such cases we get support no protocols. Then the IG’s intelligence response unit is also mandated to give me support as well as the Federal SARS. I have support from the AIG zone 8 who is regularly talking with me to see what area to come and he is personally involved and he goes around with his officers. In fact he set up a special team to go on supervision and then the collaboration that we have with sister agencies; we have a platform Head of security Agencies (HOSA) in Kogi State where we have regular interactions and we compare and share notes, I am talking of the Nigeria Police force, the DSS, the Army, the naval unit and the Civil defence and the huge number of the vigilante spread all over the State working with the different police divisions. There is a lot of collaborations. The Governor of Kogi State has been extremely supportive of the police command in terms of logistics. In the short time I have been here he has supplied us with utility vehicles this is in addition to those he supplied earlier. I made a special request. He is always asking and wants to know what is happening. I think he realises his responsibility that being in such position he is got to offer his support.
What about the cattle herdsmen?
We work with the Meyeti Allah, the cattle breeders association, to a large extent. It has been very helpful. We built a strong relationship with the entirety of Kogi population, the motor drivers union, the market people, telephone repairers, other bodies like INEC, NYSC, the VIO, name them. We have two programs; ‘The Police and You’, which is held on NTA Lokoja every Thursday 5. 30 to 6.30 in the evening at no cost but as part of their corporate social responsibility and this is a live phone in program and we are asked about the conduct of our personals, the crime situation,
When I came on board I approach NTA and they gave us that concession. Another program on Radio Kogi 11am on Saturdays ‘Police Dairy’ and we have Grace FM, where we also have interaction. We open ourselves to the public for accountability and transparency. We don’t even know who is going to call but we say talk to us. Some will call to say they saw your boys at so so place this is what they were doing, so they are helping us to check the menace of criminal activities, the conduct of our personals and then they become par takers in the issue of security. When I came on board this is what we are doing with the three programs so that the public can interphase with us directly. The first two edition I was there personally with my DC operations, DC CID, area commanders and very soon DPOs, everybody and then we are taking notes. Area commander in Ajaokuta this is a complaint we have, we have the S-Squad that deals with corruption on the highways so we open ourselves bringing police service to the doorsteps of Kogites.
What are you doing about the Vigilante group and the danger of their becoming security threats.
The Vigilate according to laid down procedure cannot operate on their own they must operate under close police supervision. They operate under police and we carry out background check on every individual that belong to either neighbourhood watch or the Vigilate. Therefore once they misbehave we deal with them like any other criminal. However you cannot talk of community policing with involving the community because what we understand Police and public adopting common approach to problem solving. If you are in Oguma the headquarters of Bassa and the chief talks to you he has everybody both men and women but who can support us? We have the hunters, then the names will be given to the DPO who will screen them and those who are considered worthy in character and in Behaviour would be allowed to participate but there is a continuous monitoring to see and evaluate the suitability of some individuals continuing in that.
Credit: nationalupdate.com.ng
