The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the government is intensifying the campaign against drug abuse in the state in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Obaseki who spoke with journalists after the monthly security meeting at the Government House, Benin City, said there is increased security across the state, hailing the tact and support of the security agencies.
The governor said the executive summary of security incidents from 1st of January 2022 to 31st August 2022 showed that kidnapping, drugs, homicide and vehicular accident account for about 75 per cent of the incidents of crime in the State.
He said, “We just had our Security Council meeting for this month. We reviewed the incident until August. As you know, we have an Information Management System in Edo State where we track every incident of crime reported.
“In the month of August 2022, we can say clearly that the security situation in Edo is stable. The top four incidents of kidnapping, drugs, homicide and vehicular accidents account for 75 percent of the incidents relating to crime in Edo State.
“This month has been stable despite witnessing a slight increase in the incidence of kidnapping in the state. This Security Council meeting has taken measures and hoping to curb the increase within one month.”
On tackling drug abuse in the state, the governor stated, “We also discussed the issue of drugs as we are working with the NDLEA and we will embark on an operation soon on a major drug hub in the state.
“As the year comes to an end, we see increased criminal activities and likely to see pressure here. We have applied and will continue to put pressure on the federal government, particularly the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to allow us to use the 112 emergency line. We have written again to NCC and are hoping that they will allow us access to the line so it will be connected to our Command and Control Centers in the state.
“Once connected, the citizens will have quick access to report incidents in the state. A combination of having that emergency line and having cameras monitoring entry and exits from the cities will enable us to control car snatching in the State.”
On his part, Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, noted, “The fact can speak for itself and we are determined to do more for the people of Edo State.
“I thank the Governor of Edo State for creating a good atmosphere for the security agencies to function effectively.
“Crime is a galloping phenomenon and we are trying to get it right as we continue to re-strategize to bring it under control. Criminal innovation continues to take place but however, as security managers, we shall continue to strive to rise up to the occasion.
“We are making use of what we have and the criminals are always planning to evade the drag net but we will continue to re-emphasize and re-arrange our instruments and capability to overpower them.”
