A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, Ose Anenih, has condemned the deadly assault on the Uromi community of Edo State, in the aftermath of the shocking armed robbery attack on banks that left seven people dead, including two policemen.
He said he was taken aback by the well-coordinated attack by the armed robbers, calling on the Federal Government to approve the set up of state police.
Anenih, who made the call in Uromi after visiting the scenes of the robberies, said state police would enhance swift local response to local challenges, which must be accommodated in the ongoing constitutional review.
He said, “My heart goes out to the immediate families of the dead and the entire Uromi community over the callous robbery attack that has devastated our community.
“There is no pursuit that is worth taking the life of any human being. These barbaric killings of innocent people must not go unpunished, and I want to urge the Police to respond swiftly to apprehend the killers.
“It is heart-wrenching that the state, and Nigeria at large, have been crippled by rising insecurity. I believe that this is a result of not just an absence of morality and conscience in these criminals; but also a failure of our current security architecture to curtail the excesses of these criminals.
“My position on the need to decentralise Police operations in Nigeria with the creation of State Police is well documented. The only way we can successfully fight crime locally is to adopt the most effective strategy of local policing with local and community members in charge of securing in their community through state police.
“Nigeria today needs to restructure our security framework. State governors need to be able to control their own local state police forces. Regional security networks like Amotekun need to be given legislative teeth to combat armed bandits successfully.
“As a matter of urgency, Nigerians must realise that we cannot continue to use ineffective tactics to address the rising crimes in our country. So while we mourn the innocent victims who lost their lives, I want to plead with the President and the National Assembly to accede to our demands for the creation of state police,” he added.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
