By Olushola Oladapo
Delta State Police Command has flagged four areas within Aniocha/ Oshimili as red zones due to the high rate of kidnapping in such areas.
The State Commissioner of Police (CP), Adeleke Adeyinka disclosed that the Police has discovered that kidnappers waylay victim in roads with bad posts.
He mentioned that a lot of kidnap reports have been from areas such as Okpanam, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku and outskirts of Asaba.
However, he said efforts have been intensified through patrols to curb the growing menace is such areas.
According to Adeleke, “ People should be weary as most of these kidnappers are attracted to developing cites and farm settlements. It is one of crime dynamics because crime is shifting from urban areas to rural areas”.
Speaking earlier, during a courtesy visit from Njiko Aniocha/Oshimili Group led by the Coordinator, Prof. Epiphany Azinge lamented about the high rate of insecurity in the area. Urging the Police to take immediate actions to ensure safety of Deltans.
Stating that, a lot has to be done to ensure our farms can be safe from ravaging herdsmen and kidnappers because our people are scared to go to the farm.
Emphasizing on ways to curtail the menace of herdsmen in affected areas of the State, the CP urged the local authority to partner with them, as this would avail them with credible information to improve security measures in such communities.
Urging victim of farm destruction not to take laws into their hands, he promised that farmers whose crops are destroyed by herdsmen would be compensated.
“Some hunters know some of those doing these things but they fear for themselves if they are to give informations to us. Also, people should go to their traditional authorities to report if they do not feel safe coming to the police” he asserted.
In a related development, the Yoruba Community in Delta led by Alhaji Marouf Lawal, leader of the group in Asaba, CP urged them to caution their wards to shun illicit acts of violence such as cultism. Stating that, it is sad that young ones are killing themselves over unworthy reasons.
He however charged them to be in cordial relationship people in their various communities.
“Tell your wards to be of good conduct as I would not be happy to receive people from the Yoruba community in our custody” he said.
Giving his vote of thanks, Leader of the Group in Ughelli, Prince Olatunde Olasupo prayed for grace to curtail insecurity in the state.
