By Daniel Dafe
Following the nod of the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, representatives of Ethiope East and Ukwuani Constituencies in the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowowo and Hon Chukwudi Dafe have taken up the responsibility in collaboration with the police to tackle kidnapping in the two local government areas.
On Monday, both lawmakers accompanied the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP Aina Adesola, to the palace of the Ovie of Oruarivie Abraka Kingdom, HRM Akpomeyoma Majoroh Ojeta II to solicit the support of the traditional ruler in the project.
Earlier, they also visited the Okpalukus of Umutu and Obiaruku communities.
Recall that the incessant kidnapping in the area has led to a collapse of farming activities in the bushes which has resulted in an alarming rise in prices of food items, especially garri.
Apart from the attack on farmers in the bush, several kidnap operations occurred in Abraka and Obiaruku communities.
Speaking to Oasis Magazine exclusively after the visit, DCP Ademola who stood in for the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, said: “We are here this morning to rub minds together with the community members through the audience of the king, the Deputy Speaker and Hon. Dafe on how we can synergise and cooperate together to send this people out of our forest and the meeting was very successful.”
He added: “He has promised to support us and I want to thank the two House of Assembly members on behalf of my CP who sent me to attend the meeting. You can see it yourself, everybody is happy and they are ready to enter the forest with the police and those armed robbers and kidnappers will never have a good day anymore.
“We are now going back home to our table and we will sketch out our next line of action which we will not want to disclose.”
To criminals in the area, he called on them to leave the state, not only Abraka and Obiaruku alone because their actions would succeed.
On his part, Akpowowo, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the State Legislature said: “As elected representatives of the people, one of the major reasons for forming a government is the security of lives and property. We are inundated with calls of insecurity in this area, Abraka particularly and Obiaruku,” saying both communities are under siege by kidnappers.
Adding: “And as responsible representatives, we cannot keep quiet and so we cried to the appropriate authorities and we are here today to sensitize our people to seek their cooperation in the forthcoming operations that will be coming up to weed out criminals from our communities and bushes.
“So the essence of this meeting is to sensitize our communities and seek their cooperation because the police alone cannot do it. We need their cooperation, information,” saying there is need for them to see the police as their friend and not enemies
Furthermore, he said: “You can see that the vigilante, anti-cult, hunters and others are all gallant and ready for this task. We are so impressed with the outcome of the meeting.
“We have played our role by attracting the attention of the police whose duty is to maintain law and order where there is heavy crime rate.”
In his words: Our people can no longer sleep, cannot go to farm and cannot move around for fear of kidnappers and that is what has led to this stakeholders’ engagement that we have done today and in moving forward, we are ready and available to put up the necessary machinery to support them to do their job.”
Meanwhile, Dafe who was visibly elated with the success of the visits, said: “We are here to get it done. We will meet them in the bush.”
Chairman of Ethiope East Local Government Area, Hon Augustine Ogedegbe who was represented by the council’s Vice Chairman, Patience Ejoh, appreciated the lawmakers and the police for coming to the aid of the affected communities.
“I am so grateful and I know they will do a great job to ensure that the communities are safe,” she said.
When HRM Akpomeyoma received the visitors, he assured them of his support.
Oasis Magazine gathered that a committee will soon be constituted to oversee the arrangement, just as a source under conditions of anonymity hinted that a special 70-man police squad will soon be deployed to the areas affected with the support of vigilante members storming the bushes with support from the vigilante and other paramilitary groups to clear the area of kidnappers.
