The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed A. Adamu, on Monday  assured the good people in the South West States of his determination to continue to maximally deploy all resources and unique capabilities towards mitigating crimes and addressing fears of crime across the region.

The IGP disclosed this at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan during the meeting tagged “Southwest Geopolitical Zone Security Summit” which was convened by the Inspector-General of Police to unveil his security agenda for the region and to discuss issues and strategies to be adopted in addressing the security challenges in the geopolitical zone.

In his speech, Adamu said “This meeting is being convened within the context of our Community Policing Vision which emphasizes citizens’ engagement in the process of identifying, dissecting and prioritizing threats to communal values, partnering to develop strategies to address the threats, and building trust to undertake actions directed at mitigating them”.

“The security situation across the country has been stabilized. However, there are isolated cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in the South West, particularly, along Benin-Ore-Lagos Highway and across Ondo State”.

“In response to this emerging trend, we have been evaluating and re-evaluating our operational strategies while strengthening our institutional capacity in relation to the generation of actionable intelligence and the conduct of special operations directed at proactively responding to criminal situations across the country. I am delighted to note that ‘Operation Puff Adder’ which we launched as a strategy to stabilize the security profile in the country and other strategies that we have emplaced since January 2019 have so far been a success story” he said.

“In consequence, between January and August 2019, a total of 552 murder suspects were arrested with 66 such arrests effected in the South-West. Similarly, 2,015 armed robbery suspects were arrested with 363 of the figure arrested in the South-West, while 1,154 kidnapping suspects were also apprehended in various operations. 147 of these were arrested in the South-West”.

Meanwhile, having succeeded in using ‘Operation Puff Adder’ as an operational vehicle to stabilize the public security space, Adamu said “within this perspective and in relation to the South West Geopolitical Zone, we shall soon relaunch the ‘Safer Highway’ Motorised Patrol Scheme as well as the ‘Safer City’ scheme. We have since purchased new fleet of patrol vans to be deployed across our highways and cities as this will also involve the deployment of cutting-edge CCTV technology for surveillance functions across the highways and vulnerable locations in our communities in the zone and other parts of the country”.

“We must as a strategy, strengthen partnership among ourselves as a community on one hand, and between the communities and the police on the other hand. The strength of this partnership and the commitment of all actors within the process will undoubtedly, influence the extent of success we can record against the criminals” Adamu said.

Adamu further stated that “On our part, I can assure of our determination to continue to maximally deploy all our resources and unique capabilities towards mitigating crimes and addressing fear of crime across the South West”.

The IGP however charged the people to be determined to build a consensus and partner in determining any act of criminality and resolving to work with the police towards identifying, isolating and bringing the criminal elements within our communities to deserved justice regardless of their status, background, creed or gender.

Adamu appreciate the support of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde for volunteering to partner in hosting the Summit, all other South West Governors (Ogun, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti and Ondo), revered traditional rulers, and other strategic stakeholders for sacrificing to honor the summit to finding a lasting solution to the security challenges facing the South-West state as he look forward to a robust and rewarding engagement, the outcome of which will alter the security narratives in the South West for good.

The Summit was enlivened by all the South West Governors, Oyo-Engr. Seyi Makinde; Osun-Adegboyega Oyetola; Ogun-Dapo Abiodun ably represented by his deputy, Mrs. Naimot Salako-Oyedele; Ekiti-Kayode Fayemi ably represented by his deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi; Ondo-Rotimi Akeredolu ably represented by his deputy, Agboola Ajayi; Lagos-Babajide Sanwo-Olu ably represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat; The Inspector General of Police, Muhammad A. Adamu and his management team; traditional rulers across the South West States; AIG Zone 11, AIG Leye Oyebade; Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, CP. Shina T. Olukolu and other Commissioners of  Police in the South West States, strategic stakeholders, Officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force among others.