25th March, 2018
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
To checkmate the incessant cases of kidnapping and violent armed robberies perpetrated with ease on the waterways of Edo State, Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has approved a marine Police base for the State.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Babatunde Kokumo, gave the hint at the weekend, when the Chairman of Ovia South-West local government area, Comrade Destiny Enabulele, visited him in his office, to solicit for his help in boosting security in the local government area.
Enabulele who expressed discomfort with the situation, noted that the situation has been so bad that banks which formerly operated at Iguobazuwa, the administrative headquarters of the local government area, closed shops, due to incessant robbery attacks.
“We want to reside in that community. That was the matching order Governor Godwin Obaseki gave us, but we are afraid we could be kidnapped.
“We want to work, that is why we are here for you to assist us, by providing sustained and formidable presence of security operatives at Iguobazuwa. That will help to reawaken and grow economic activities of the local government that has gone comatose,” he said.
The Edo CP in his response, said: “Our statutory duty is to provide security for lives and properties. That, we will not fail to do. I want to assure you that we will do all within our capacity to ensure that businesses thrive in that local government.
“The problem we have there [Ovia South-West] is that, we have crime and criminals in land, we have crime and criminals in the waters.
“On my arrival here, I discovered that Edo State does not have Marine Police, and I considered that as not healthy enough. But am glad to tell you that the IGP has approved Marine Police for Edo State for the first time. It was just yesterday [last Thursday], that the approval from the Inspector-General arrived.
Babatunde, who noted that Enabulele is the first local government Chairman in the State that has come to dialogue with him on the issue of security, disclosed that the Marine Police base would be at Gelegele, with other outposts along waterways and creeks in the State.
“The security of the waterways would be better than what it is now and I hope and believe strongly that Mr. Governor [Godwin Obaseki] will support us as he has always been doing,” he said.