Police arrest 171 suspects, rescue 19 kidnap victims in A’Ibom

Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it has arrested 171 suspects and rescued 19 victims of kidnapping between December and February 25th, 2020.

Speaking on Tuesday in Uyo during Town Hall meeting/security summit of Uyo Area Command, the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, said due to the security consciousness of the people, Akwa Ibom was one of the most peaceful states in the country.

He explained that within the period under review, crime rate has dropped by over 25 per cent, saying 14 different types of fire arms and 25 types of ammunition were recovered, while 94 suspects have been charged to court.

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He said the task was possible as a result of community policing, noting that some of the arrests were done by the citizens.

Edgal, who said the police cannot be everywhere as a result of shortfall in manpower, encouraged communities to take up strategic policing by setting up vigilante groups and deepening police participation.

“From December till the 25th of February 2020, the Police under my Command has arrested a total of 171 suspects for various offences. We have also rescued 19 persons who were kidnapped either within the state or outside the state, but our attention was drawn to it.

“We have recovered 14 different types of fire arms, we have also recovered 25 types of ammunition. We have also in our custody, 38 different types of exhibits. A total of 94 persons have been charged to court, while cases still under investigation remains at 77.

“I am an officer that believes in checking statistics and using it as a guide to know whether we are moving forward or backward. I have from this statistics checked previous crime records, and I can say with certainty that the police under my command under the last two months have been able to reduce crime in the entire Akwa Ibom by well over 25 percent,” he stated.

The CP mentioned that he has set up a citizen’s complaints committee with ten dedicated lines for anyone with complaints to call.

He said policemen are manning the lines on a 24 hours basis and would listen to people’s complaints both in English and vernacular.

He stated that though investigations show that people’s complaints about the police was hindering community partnership, he urged the people to have trust and confidence in the police for community policing to work.

He however warned that policemen who are negligent in their duties would get a reduction in rank while those who do well would a get the CP”s letter of commendation.

He revealed that an administrative check was ongoing in the State Police Command, noting that within the next two weeks there will be a massive redeployment of police officers across the state.

He stated that police officers from DSP down who have stayed in a station up to 5 years would be redeployed.

He said there would soon be a recruitment exercise for Community Policing Offiers (CPOs), adding that the CPOs will act as liaison between the police and the community in security and other matters.

He stated that the recruitment would be carried out by a committe made up of traditional rulers and community leaders, whose responsibility will be to recruit persons resident in the community with no criminal records.

He further advised the Local Government Chairmen to hold a monthly security meeting with the DPOs in their area, and an enlarged meeting with the Paramount Rulers once in every two months.

He frowned against the practice of taking land issues and chietaincy matters to the police, saying it was the responsibility of the Paramount Rulers to resolve such cases so as not to overwork the police.

He advised youth leaders to submit themselves to the leadership of the traditional rulers and not constitute themselves into a force, noting that the regular security meeting with the LG Chairmen would tackle such problems.

The CP warned parents to be mindful of their children as any underage child involved in any cult related violence or violence of any form would be arrested and their parents invited for questioning.

He stated that the recent street fight in Government Technical College, Ewet shows that cultism is becoming a deep rooted problem in schools, adding that the situation was not peculiar to Akwa Ibom State.

He said it showed that parents have failed in the duties of training their children, lamenting that it shows we were building a society of cultism and called on all to join hands to stop the menace.

He commended the Akwa Ibom State Government for supporting the police saying, “Since I came here, Governor Udom Emmanuel has assured me that the entire apparatus of the state will be used to support the police”.

Also speaking, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr Aniekan Bassey, who was represented by Mr. Nse Essien, House Committee Chairman on Youths and Security, said the legislature owe the people a duty to create enabling laws for the society.

He said the Assembly has two bills: Vigilante Expression bill, and Security Trust Fund bill that will take care of security men in the state in case of loss of life.

He disclosed that the Assembly has received petitions on the killing of two persons by herdsmen, noting that the leadership of the house will hold Miyetii Allah responsible if people are killed by herdsmen in the state.

He said though Akwa Ibom people are peace loving, they would not allow people to take them for granted, and urged the leadership of Miyetti Allah to make sure that its members in the state are given a home.