*Says No Room For Crime, Criminality In Delta
DELTA State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has warned criminals and those who may seek to arm individuals for political violence ahead of next year’s general elections that they will face the full weight of the law, declaring there is no room for crime and criminality in the state.
Oborevwori said security remained a central pillar of his administration’s MORE Agenda, as peace and safety were essential for development, investment, economic growth and the wellbeing of citizens.
The governor, stated this when he received the newly deployed Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Samuel Erale, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba, said his administration has adopted a firm approach to crime fighting, irrespective of the status or political affiliation of offenders, adding that nobody would be shielded from prosecution for committing crime, stressing: “If you are my brother, if you are my friend, if you commit, you go for it. Nobody is above the law.”
Oborevwori charged the new Police chief to sustain an intelligence-led and coordinated approach to policing, with stronger surveillance of communities, highways and waterways, particularly in the riverine areas, even as he called for deeper collaboration among the Police, other security agencies, traditional rulers, youth leaders, vigilante groups and other stakeholders, saying community-based policing would help strengthen trust and improve intelligence gathering.
The governor warned against the proliferation of firearms, particularly the use of rifles by civilians, urging security agencies to intensify efforts to recover illegal arms and arrest persons found in possession of unauthorised weapons.
He assured of the state government’s continued support for the Police and other security agencies through the Delta State Security Trust Fund, including the provision of operational vehicles and other logistics, as well as the necessary support to sustain the prevailing peace in the state, even during the electioneering period.
Earlier, Erale assured the governor and people of the state of his commitment to maintaining peace and security across the state, guided by professionalism and discipline.
Erale vowed to rejig the existing security architecture in the state and build on the achievements of his predecessors to make Delta safer.
