28th December, 2018
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Thursday in Offa urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to redouble efforts at ridding Kwara of rising cultism and criminality.
The Minister gave the charge at the commissioning of a N700 million ultra-modern Mobile Police Force Squadron Base built by the Offa community and donated to the Nigeria Police Force.
The barracks consists of Administrative Block of 16 offices, computer rooms, guard house, communication room, 200 capacity conference room and a mini-cell.
The barrack also comprises 3-bedroom Commandant quarters and Guard Residential quarter of 44 flats of 2-bedroom each for the rank and file.
Also in the barrack built through community efforts are: Armoury house, Guard house and post, communication room perimeter fence wall and gate, 500KVA generator and two boreholes
There was also a built-up epitaph in commemoration of the 33 victims of the April 5 armed robbery attack in the town.
In a remark, the minister said that Kwara, particularly at the run-up to the 2019 general elections, had become notorious for criminality and cultism.
He, therefore, charged the IGP to reciprocate the efforts of Offa people by building the barracks, to return the state to its known safety haven.
“It is unfortunate that Kwara in recent times has become notorious for banditry, robbery and cultism.
“Those who witnessed what happened some days back will agree with me that hoodlums and cultists are still very active in Kwara.
“We want to appeal to the Police to redouble their efforts, especially at this time that the general election is drawing nearer.
“They must ensure that peace reigns and rid the state of crimes so that the people can go out freely to cast their votes,” he said
Mohammed said that the Police should see the barrack project as a strong message to them on the need to redouble their efforts at protecting the people of the town and Kwara as a whole.
He said the Police must ensure that never would the incidence of the Offa robbery where 33 people lost their lives including a pregnant woman reoccur.
He commended the people of offa under the aegis of Offa Descendant Union for undertaking the impressive project and charged other communities to emulate the town.
“Those who are familiar with the history of Offa will not be surprised at this because the people over the years have contributed a lot to their town through community help.
“If other communities can borrow a leaf from the Offa people, the burden of development will be lessened on the government,” he said.
The IGP corroborated the minister’s position that Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states had become breeding grounds for organised crimes.
The police boss who represented by the Commissioner of Police, Mobile Police Force, Lawal Jimeta, said the Force was not resting on its oars to protect the states and the entire country from criminality.
He said the barrack project is unprecedented and laudable and it would assist the Police in providing adequate security for Offa and its surrounding communities.
The IGP reminded the community that MOPOL’s statutory duty was not to settle scores, but a striking force to contain criminality, banditry and insurgency.
He assured of prompt deployment of MOPOL men to the barrack to help in curtailing banditry, armed robbery and other forms of criminality in the area.