A group under the aegis of Initiative for Social Rights Concerns And Advancement, ISRCA has urged the Delta State Police Commissioner, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda to declare a “state of emergency” on ten major community roads over the spate of insecurity in the state.
ISRCA National Coordinator, Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen made the call in a statement sent to NewsNow.
The ten roads in the communities where the group want the State of Emergency declared include, Orerokpe, Egbo Uhurhie community, Uvwiamuge Community, E.C.N. to Jeremi Junction, Ekrerhavwe Community Roads to Isiokolo, Sapele Expressway to Ologbo Community, Agbarho/Ughelli Express-Way and some parts of Otokutu Community.
The group said the call became necessary following the series of kidnappings, armed robberies and other criminal activities along the roads in the various communities.
The group expressed worry that kidnapping thrives daily on the roads.
The group in the statement said, “The people in these areas can no longer live in their homes, as kidnappings have now been brought to the doorsteps of commuters, unlike before. The people can no longer continue their daily routines and are being forced to return home early and relocate outside their homes because of this trending situation.
“Just over the weekend, we saw on a trending video, how a young man was killed by suspected kidnappers along Agbarho. Also, both legs of a lady who was also a passenger on the bus; were shot and disfigured, as it affected the bones.
”Other passengers in the same bus were abducted and will probably pay huge funds as ransom or get killed for not being able to meet their demands.”
The group also lambasted the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe over a purported comment credited to him on his Twitter handle where he said the insecurity challenges faced by Deltans were mere exaggeration.
The group described the comments by the PPRO as “derogatory.”
“As the image maker to the Police Command; would the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO; SP Bright Edafe deny these reoccurrences and why say it is an exaggeration? Just over the night, the unit commander of the Hunters, a security outfit in the state, was killed in a gun duel with suspected Fulani herdsmen, who are the first suspects in these atrocious crimes against humanity.
”No doubt, a great number of Delta residents/non-indigenes are also part of the syndicate but we must not underestimate information given by the vulnerable members of the public as exaggerations.
“If such statements could come from the Command’s PRO; this simply means that the people are in great danger, as nothing may likely be done about the trending issues of kidnappings and armed robbery in the State. It’s disheartening to hear!”
The group argued that this should be a time to establish cordial relationships with the people, stressing that, “the people are more likely to assist the Police with useful information that will boost security operations in the state,
The group further alleged that “A lot of the Delta State Police command operatives are mostly seen in the Federal, Major, roads, extorting people in disguise of stop and search.
”Some even go as far as planting hard-drugs in the vehicles of suspected yahoo boys, in the bid to extort and exploit them. They should be deployed to these areas or in a collaborative way, through the Delta State Government.