Delta CP advocates vigilante, community collaboration over cultism, herdsmen menace

Delta state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, at a security summit held on Monday at Ughelli a major in the state, said the menace of cultists and the excesses of herdsmen rocking the entire state needs the partnership of the local vigilante and community heads to redress the trend.

The security summit, which was organized by Ughelli ‘A’ Division, of the state police command, witnessed the participation of Ughelli kingdom monarch, HRM, Ohorisi III, other traditional rulers, community leaders, vigilante, member representing Ughelli constituency I in the Delta State House of Assembly, and the police commissioner who was represented by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO for ‘B’ Division, Warri, CSP Anniete Eyoh.

In his address, Mr. Ibrahim said that there is the need for the police to partner with the local vigilance, community leaders and every relevant authority to curb the excesses of criminals and criminality in Ughelli and its environs. According to him, “we are allowing the local community to have a say in the decision making of the police and this promotes the spirit of promptness of the police in responding to distress calls.”

“Aside kidnapping, the command had received series of cases of sexual harassment, raping and killing by suspected herdsmen and these are issues that need to be addressed urgently.”

Earlier, the Ughelli ‘A’ Division DPO, Jonathan Acha, who described the activities of herdsmen and cultists in the state as worrisome, said: “If we continue to over over-look the activities of cultism in the society, we would end up losing the lives of our youths. As for the herdsmen, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed on a round table.”

Meanwhile, the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) in charge of Ughelli ‘A’ Division, Jonathan Acha, has explained that the criminal activities being meted out on innocent and law-abiding citizens by cult members and Fulani herdsmen formed the basis of the just concluded security summit held at the ‘A’ Division, Ughelli Police Headquarters.Mr. Acha, while addressing security stakeholders in Ughelli, said security activities should be taken as everybody’s business, if Ughelli must be free from the activities of cultists and herdsmen criminality.

He said “the essence of this summit is to bring on board, security stakeholders in Ughelli North Council Area to brainstorm on sensitive security issues, anchored on the criminal activities of herdsmen and cultists in the area, believing that together, we can find solution to their menaces and chart a new beginning that will enable the security operatives stamp out crimes and criminalities within A Division, Ughelli.”