A group of Edo Indigenes, known as the ‘Concerned Citizens of Edo State’ has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly over the continued stay of the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Haliru Gwandu, even when a replacement had been announced for more than 3 months.
The group staged a protest in Abuja on Monday stated that a copy of the petition has been forwarded to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris for immediate action.
According to the group since the arrival of Mr. Gwnadu as Commissioner to the State, criminal activities have become rampant with the police command demonstrating lack of capacity to tackle crimes.
The group in a statement signed by its coordinator, Hon. Henry Okpamem and made available to newsmen in Abuja, listed four different security flashpoints in the state which had been effectively policed by previous CPs.
They said: “While previous Police Commissioner posted to the state have done everything possible to check the activities of criminals that operate in these well-known flashpoints/areas to minimum and tolerable level using available intelligence reports, we have long noticed a lethargic approach and rather nonchalant attitude by the present Commissioner, Haliru Gwandu”.
“Under the leadership of Mr. Haliru Gwandu, the security situation has degenerated to its lowest level in decades and now probably worse than when some parts of the South-South were overrun by the militants.
“Mr. Haliru Gwandu has failed to demonstrate expected professional competence, knowledge and zeal towards securing the state and mobilising his men towards achieving the key objectives of policing the state. The police command under his leadership does not find value in community policing and the use of residents in gathering intelligence information”, the petition reads.
The group said the CP’s incompetence was made obvious following the kidnapping of notable Edo indigenes by suspected Herdsmen in different Local Governments of the state, as well as the enboldened acts of terrorism by criminal gangs which has largely gone unchallenged by the state police command.
“As we speak, Edo state police command practically has no police Commissioner, and this situation has precipitated uncertainty and confusion in the security architecture of the state. This confusion is fuelled by the fact that Edo people woke up on the 5th of July 2017 to see a press release duly signed by the head press and Pubilc Relations of the Police Service Commission, Mr Ikechukwu Ani to the effect that there is a change in the leadership of the Police Command in Edo state.
“The state was to the effect that Mr. Haliru Gwandu would be replaced by Mr. Johnson Babatunde Kokumo as Edo State Commissioner of Police. Amazingly, to the consternation of Edo people and Nigerians, three clear months since the announcement, the change has not been effected”, the group added.
