Obaseki, NSA to Meet Over Alarming Crime in Edo
Worried by public outcry regarding the sudden upsurge in crime rate in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday resolved to meet with the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Mongonu, on ways to tackle the upsurge in parts of the state.
The governor told newsmen at the Government House, Benin, that his administration had taken measures to check the spate of crime in the state.
He said the meeting with the NSA would provide the opportunity for him to discuss areas of security collaboration and raise the bar in intelligence gathering and proactive surveillance in the state.
The governor called on residents of the state to go about their normal businesses without panic, assuring them that adequate arrangements had been made to effectively tackle the recent upsurge in crime in the state.
He said the Nigerian Army had since deployed its personnel to the areas where the crimes were committed, as well as, other flashpoints in the city, to forestall reoccurrence.
“We have useful information about those who we suspect were involved in the incidents of the last few weeks. I want to assure Edo people that normalcy has been restored and they will not likely see the occurrence of such incident again,” he said.
He added that all arms of government will need to collaborate in sharing of intelligence and to ensure efficient security arrangement in the country.
It will be recalled that security concerns arose in the state following the killing of three police officers attached to the Chief Executive Officer of Ogba Zoological Garden, Mr. Andy Ehanire and his subsequent kidnap as well as the kidnap of a prominent musician, Osayomore Joseph.
The incidents led to protest in Abuja by Edo indigenes, who called for the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Haliru Gwandu Abukar.
