Buhari, Saraki and Dogara
Protesting Edo State indigenes on Monday demanded the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police , Edo State Command , Mr . Haliru Gwandu , over rising cases of killings and kidnapping in the state.
They petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari ; the President of the Senate , Bukola Saraki ; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives , Mr . Yakubu Dogara , citing cases which remained unresolved .
They also demanded an apology from the Inspector -General of Police , Mr . Ibrahim Idris , for allegedly not doing enough to address the security situation in the state .
“We , the concerned citizens of Edo State are gathered here today to share our pains with Mr . President ; the President of the Senate ; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the worsening security situation in our state ”, they stated .
Led by their Coordinator, Mr . Henry Okpamen , the protesters matched through some streets in Abuja to the National Assembly and the police headquarters .
For instance , they said in March this year , a former local government council chairman , Mr . Suleiman Malik -Afegbua , and some persons were kidnapped by suspected herdsmen along the Benin -Ehor Road .
They disclosed that he was later killed by the kidnappers .
“Strangely , while the family was still negotiating the release of the other persons who were kidnapped along with Malik -Afegbua , the commissioner announced to the whole world that the kidnappers had been released , which was not true”, they added .
The protesters pointed to several other kidnapping incidents after the killing of Malik -Afegbua , especially “farmers, women in Ewu , Uromi , Ubiaja and Ebigbere communities in the state .
There was the case of an environmentalist , Dr. Andy Ehanire, who was kidnapped on September 24 .
Three policemen were said to have died while attempting to confront the kidnappers .
Similarly , the protesters recalled the incident on October 3 when a renowned musician , Mr . Osayomore Joseph, was also kidnapped.
Okpamen spoke further , “To cap it all , and on a very sad note , criminals struck again on October 5 with the assassination of a Professor of Engineering at the University of Benin , Paul Otasowie.
“For these recurring criminal activities to occur in one geopolitical location in the state , one does not require a scientific sense or robotic technology to know that this area is a flashpoint that warrants increased police presence and enforcement .”
They also complained of lack of cooperation in intelligence sharing among security agencies in the state , a development further compounding the security situation.
“At a point, and on a daily basis , the Okada junction in Ovia North - East Local Government Area became a criminal hideout with adverse implications for residents and travellers along the Lagos -Benin Expressway”, they said .
In addition , the protesters observed that though the Police Service Commission had redeployed Gwandu through a July 5 letter , the commissioner had remained in the state .
Among others , they called for the enforcement of the redeployment of Gwandu and the “deployment of a team of intelligence officers to work with a new CP to ensure that intelligence information is analysed and used to process the arrest of suspects in the state .” Iykerom.blogspot.com
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