By Foluso Adelaja, Editor, THE STATEPOST
Ven (Dr) Samson Kunle Popoola, Chairman, PCRC, Ogun State
Amidst growing crime rate and worsening insecurity nationwide, community policing has taken off smoothly without attracting any undue attention in Ogun State, THE STATEPOST can now categorically reveal.
In the same vein, plan has reached advanced stage for the uninterrupted take off of Amotekun, the Southwest Security Network in the state.
The take off of the much vaunted Southwest Security Network, codenamed Amotekun which was devised at the conference of all the state governors of the Southwest as a credible panacea to security challenges in the region, especially the menace of Fulani Herdsmen massacre of rural people was delayed in Ogun despite its commencement in other states of the region.
THE STATEPOST recently reported that the delay was necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant consequences including the lockdown on the economy and the people’s lifestyle.
However, reports reaching us now confirmed that arrangements for the eventual smooth take off of the regional response squad have reached advanced stage.
A clue to the fact that community policing has taken off in Ogun State was first given recently by the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Awolowo Ajogun in his speech at the investiture of patrons and advisers of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) of the state command held at the Police Officers Mess,GRA, Ibara, Abeokuta.
Ajogun, Ogun State Commissioner of Police
In his speech at the occasion, Ajogun mentioned in passing that Ogun State had trained 320 community police officers and had sent them to different areas of the state.
However, the state Chairman of the PCRC, Ven (Dr) Samson Kunle Popoola was more categorical in his recent chat with THE STATEPOST on this matter at his office at the Old State Secretariat, Ibara, Abeokuta.
According to Ven Popoola, sixteen constabularies were trained for each local government to as community police officers.
He noted that these officers cut across all trades and tribes but they are residents of the respective areas they were posted to.
Ven Popoola noted that these officers will mix freely with the people as they were picked from among them and will wear police uniform only when it is necessary. They will report directly to the District Police Officer (DPO) in their respective areas.
On Amotekun, Ven Popoola said the state government is now restocking it with the necessary equipment which include vehicles before its commencement in the very near future.
He pointed out that both Amotekun and community policing will not clash in their functions as the former is a striking force while the latter is strictly an intelligence and information gathering squad.
