THE people of Akure metropolis in Ondo State may now have a reason to breathe easier as the governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has assured residents that Akure, and indeed the state at large, will no longer be a place for violent criminals and others like them to operate unchallenged.
The governor made the remarks at the presentation five new high-speed Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), to the state command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), even as he expressed concern and empathy with the people over the recent spike in security threats in the state.
The presentation came nearly thirty years after a similar presentation was made by the Shehu Shagari government to curb cases of armed banditry in the state. Unfortunately, the same lone APC vehicle presented back then, now old and rickety, is the only one still in use.
Governor Mimoko gave assurances that his government is now in a better position to guarantee the safety of lives and business in the state, adding that his government “will continue to partner the various security agencies because if there is no synergy among all stakeholders in security management, there won’t be success.”
At the presentation, Police Inspector-General Hafiz Ringim, represented by the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Zone XI, Oshogbo, Mr. Johnson Uzuegbunam, commended the state government for its tremendous assistance to the police.
Ringim said the police cannot perform its expected roles except they are provided with necessary equipment and weapons.
The presentation was a follow up to previous assistance of crime fighting equipment by the government to security agencies in the state, which had been given a total of 97 vehicles, 10 high velocity power motor bikes, 500 bullet proof vests and communication equipment.