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Ekiti State Police Command on Wednesday said it is now collaborating with members of the Oodua People’s Congress(OPC), hunters and other vigilante groups to flush out criminal elements from the state.
The Commissioner of Police(CP), Mr. Amba Asuquo disclosed this in Ado Ekiti at a security and media briefing.
He said the command’s decision to collaborate with the groups was because of their nearness to the people at the grassroots, saying it is an efficient way of preventing and controlling crime.
According to him, such collaboration is now necessary because non-governmental security organisations are useful agents in knowing the movements and hideouts of criminals as well as exposing crimes before they are committed.
“Can you imagine that even recently, when we were on the trail of some criminals in Iyemero Ekiti, so many of the traditional hunters and OPC men entered the bush with us and I was amazed at the results we got.
“We do recognise their importance in information gathering and crime prevention, but what we are against is for them to either take laws into their hands or go out of their bounds to single-handedly punish without handing over arrested suspects to us for proper investigation and consequent prosecution,” he added.
The CP said the hitch free Sallah celebration experienced in the state was part of the result of such collaborative efforts, adding that all the Commissioners of Police in the South West states now had interstate arrangements capable of tackling cross-border criminality.
Asuquo, further stated that tough times await criminals in the state and neighbouring states if they fail to amend their ways.
He assured members of the public ready to volunteer useful information that could lead to bursting of crimes of safety, promising that such classified information would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
The police boss, however, released a special emergency number, 08062335577, for the public to report criminal activities, assuring that his men would arrive at the scene from the nearest police station within five minutes.