Ogun acquires drones to fight crime along highways
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said that his administration has just acquired security drones to tackle all sorts of criminalities, while also monitoring heinous activities, particularly along the major highways.
Abiodun made this known while hosting the new Commissioner of Police in the State, Yomi Oladimeji in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital.
The Governor, while confirming the drone’s procurement, said, “Recently, we have acquired drones to allow us monitor, particularly, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other major highways so that we can identify threats and respond to them with dispatch.
“CP Oladimeji, you have your job cut out for you. We have in the past had farmer/herders crises, and we are facing issues of cultism that continued to be on the rise, which we find very strange.
“There are issues of kidnapping here and there, but I must thank the men and women of our law enforcement architecture including the Police, DSS (Department of State Service), the military, Civil Defence and other members of our security architecture for the hard work that has earned us the enviable title as one of the most peaceful States in Nigeria,” he noted.
The Governor said Ogun as a state with the highest number of industries and also serving as the education and religious capital, it was expected to have an influx of people with its attendant challenges, adding that the desire of his administration was to have a crime-free society to attract more investors to the State.
He observed that despite numerous challenges facing the Country, the State has remained peaceful, attributing the feat to the inter-agencies synergy among heads of security agencies.
The Governor appreciated the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Usman, for the warm reception he received when he visited the IG to intimate him on issues of cultism and kidnapping that has plagued the State in recent time and for always deploying reputable and capable officers as Commissioners of Police to the State.
Abiodun added that deployment of a water cannon and Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), by the IGP, would help in tackling crimes and criminalities in the State.
He described the new CP as a round peg in a round hole, a legal practitioner who is vast in judiciary and security matters, adding that his many years of traversing the nation as a police officer has prepared him for the task ahead.
He urged him to tap into his wealth of experience as someone who has the knowledge of the State terrain, to not only sustain the enviable record of his predecessors, but to surpass it by working with other security chiefs, to rid the State of crimes and criminalities.
Earlier in his remarks, CP Oladimeji explained that the mission in the State was to protect the lives of law-abiding citizens to enable them to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
“We will be tough on criminals and friendly with law-abiding citizens. I want to assure the Governor and the citizens that we will not rest on getting rid of criminals out of Ogun State. All we need is cooperation of the people and assistance from the government,” said the CP.
