The governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, said Thursday when he received the top police officials in his office in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, that his administration places a high priority on the safety of all residents and their property, while also appreciating the excellent work and zeal that the security agencies are putting into making Ekiti unsafe for criminals.
He also tasked CP Joseph Eribo, the state’s new commissioner of police, with strengthening the state’s policing strategies and ensuring that the state maintains its reputation as one of the safest and most investment-friendly states in the nation.
Through his deputy, Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye, Oyebanji commended the police and the people of Ekiti for their unwavering spirit, stating that this was the reason why the state was consistently rated as one of the safest and most investment-friendly in Nigeria.
The governor praised all security agencies for their cooperation and sense of duty, and he urged that this be maintained for an efficient intelligence gathering system.
“I want to particularly commend the men and officers of the Nigerian Police Force for their readiness to defend the masses through aggressive patrol day and night.
“I request for more dedication and hard work from our police officers to their duties. This will assure our people that they can sleep anywhere across the 16 local governments with their two eyes closed.
“I want to restate here that it is under the atmosphere of peace that investments can thrive. I plead with you to help rally the support of your men and officers to upgrade their operations and make the state a no-go-area for criminals.
“Please, let us continue to work hard to sustain the tempo of effective policing that will make the state retains its rating as one of the safest and most peaceful in the country.”
He insisted that “nobody is above the law” and counseled the new CP to collaborate closely with other law enforcement organizations, community leaders, and stakeholders in order to uphold law and order.
Additionally, the deputy governor promised that the state government was prepared to offer the necessary incentives to encourage the security services to carry out their responsibilities with ease.
According to the Police Commissioner, the purpose of the visit was to strengthen the partnership between the state administration and the police that had been formed in an effort to combat crime in Ekiti.
In order to ensure effective policing and the eventual removal of criminal elements from the system, he also urged the public to assist the police in exposing the evildoers inside their own ranks by providing tip-offs.
In order to make Ekiti secure for all residents, Eribo pledged that the Command will do everything in its power to strengthen its cooperation with other security organizations.