In a show of concern over Tuesday’s kidnap of former Provost of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos, AIG Ari Mohammed Ali, has
stressed the importance of collaboration between police operatives and local hunters.
He observed that Policemen were too far from the locals, stating further that, “until they mix with the villagers, there would exist communication gap which will hinder volunteering of information by the local hunters who know the interior of the forests”.
Ari paid a one-day working operational visit to the Ogun State Police Command in Abeokuta, to get first hand assessment of Dr. Ajayi, erstwhile Provost of FCE, Osiele, and his driver.
In the attack that took place between Olodo and Abeokuta on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Ajayi’s wife, who was kidnapped alongside the other two, was released almost immediately by their captors
The AIG’s visit, according to the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Omolola Odutola, was to create more capacity development to charge against criminals disturbing the remote hinterlands of the state.
He was said to had met with the state Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, and engaged him (Alamutu) on the techniques to end kidnappings in remote Ogun State.
“In his strategies, he pointed out that Policemen are too far from the locals, that until policemen mix with these villagers, there will exist communication gap which will hinder volunteering of information by the local hunters who know the interior of the forest, while also emphasizing on synergy amongst all security agencies”, the PPRO said
According to the PPRO, Police
Tactical Commanders have been ordered to resort to massive raid, day and night, of criminal hideouts, for effective tracking of hoodlums.
They are required to carry out patrol of suspected hideouts, and give hourly situation reports, across security forces.
will go a long way to clamp down on needless attacks.
Part of the statement reads thus: “CP Alamutu, in his reassuring response to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, said the remote villages remain policed but that more efforts will be engineered in the areas of adequate patrolling to disperse group clustering as well as intensify intelligence gathering from locals, to burn out the recent spike in kidnapping, affirming that under his watch the syndicates and their informants, who have continued to prey on the innocent residents, to kidnap for ransom, would be given sufficient attention, and the criminals will not go unpunished.
“The Commissioner also briefed the AIG that the Federal College of Education has made an official report about their colleague who was kidnapped and that exertion is ongoing to rescue the victims alive as he assured.
“Residents of Ogun State should go about their daily lawful activities without cause for alarm, as there is hope that perpetrators of kidnapping would be apprehended to answer for their nefarious activities”.