The Edo State House of Assembly Security Committee and public safety is taking proactive steps to address insecurity in the state with a conveyance of a security council meeting to brainstorm on ways to tackle insecurity and also enhance public safety .
The security council meeting was held to discuss strategies and build on the efforts of Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo, who has made significant strides in the security sector since taking office. This collaborative approach aims to tackle security challenges effectively.
The chairperson of the House Committee on security and convener of the meeting, former deputy speaker, Rt. Hon Marie Omozele Oligbi-Edeko stated that the House was intentional in calling for how to tackle the new approach of criminals to crime and criminality, emerging crimes hitherto unknown such those in mining areas and how security agencies will collaborate and work in synergy.
According to the former deputy speaker, “We were very intentional in calling this meeting comprising critical stakeholders in the state security sector, to give a practical approach to the issue of security given that the state Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has done a lot in the security sector since the assumption of office. What we have done today is to seek collaboration, we want collaboration, we want synergy between the various security agencies, we want them to work together to tackle insecurity.
Oligbi- Edeko added further that, We want to adopt the same approach for policing in the state so that in Edo South, Edo Central, Edo North, you’ll find the same structure in place. The police will take the lead and in the team we’ll have the Nigerian Army, the Edo State Security network (Vigilante), then the hunters. Everybody will be working in synergy.
She stated that they discussed the new approaches of criminals, where kidnappers now adopt people at home and how to tackle them.
We looked at the neighbourhood watch, the place of modern security technology, that’s why we invited the security agencies because they’re the ones to do the work, to give the blue print on how they’re going to address the issues.
According to Oligbi-Edeko, “They also told us their challenges. As we are in the process of making a budget these will give us insight on how we can assist to ensure they have adequate facilities to drive the strategies we have put together today and if there are areas we’re going to make new laws to ensure the criminal elements are detected, we will do that. We have also identified emerging crimes in mining areas and how to tackle these patterns of crimes not known to us before now.” She stated
Honourable Oligbi-Edeko pointed out that decisions arrived on how to tackle the new approach of criminals to crime and criminality, emerging crimes hitherto unknown such those in mining areas and how security agencies will collaborate and work in synergy.
She said , “all the security agencies include the Police, Army, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Edo Fire Service, Edo State Forestry Commission, Commissioners for Security and Public Safety, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, all the Mobil Police Formations in the state were in attendance at the meeting.”
Speaking earlier, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Sheriff Agbebaku disclosed that the state government is awaiting the arrival of eight bullet proof buffalo trucks for security patrol ordered by Governor Monday Okpebholo which will be deployed across the three Senatorial Districts to checkmate the activities of kidnappers and other criminal elements in the state, adding that two have already arrived.
Agbebaku tasked members of the public to always avail security agencies information that will enable them nip crimes in the bud and appealed to Honourable members of the Assembly to continue to enlighten their constituents