Following the spate of kidnappings in Ondo State, the Elders’ Council of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, has called for the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Gbenga Adeyanju.
The Chairman of the NBA Elders’ Council, Anthony Adeniyi, who lauded the Nigeria Army and the NSCDC for their efforts so far towards tackling the menace, maintained that incessant kidnap cases deserve another approach, hence the urgent need for the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to replace Adeyanju with a more competent police commissioner.
Over the last two months, Ondo State has been under the siege of kidnappers, as hardly a week passes without the state recording the abduction of residents as well as travellers transiting through the state to other parts of the country.
With the kidnappers’ nefarious activities, which has led to about 15 kidnap cases within the spate of eight weeks, residents and stakeholders have been calling for proactive measures from the state government and security agencies that will not only curb the menace but put a total stop to it.
Also for some groups and individuals, the redeployment of the present Commissioner of Police, Gbenga Adeyanju, who has been accused of incompetence and complicity in the crime, is the only way to bringing the security situation under control.
Other groups such as the Owo Branch of NBA, the Sunshine Liberation Front (SLF), Ondo Youths for Good Governance, (OYGG) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had also asked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris to redeploy Adeyanju and replace him with a more competent officer, saying the police in the state had failed to protect lives and properties of the citizenry.
Rising from an emergency meeting of the Akure Branch of the association’s Elders’ Council which comprises of past and present Chairmen and Secretaries, the leader of the lawyers’ group, Senator Anthony Adeniyi said the police commissioner had shown incapability to handle the spate of crimes in the state, especially kidnapping of lawyers, doctors and other members of the public on Akure-Owo-Ikare Akoko Highways and Akure-Iju-Ikere Ekiti road.
“We are not saying the police commissioner is not competent but Ondo state people demand for a more competent top officer who can tackle this spate of kidnapping that is causing serious apprehension among our members (lawyers), their family members and the generality of our people in the state. We can no longer move or travel around freely and the police seem to be doing nothing or not doing enough to stop this trend.
“Some states have more than eight commissioner of police in a year, just to ensure security of lives and property, nobody is tied permanently to Ondo state, we unequivocally demand the redeployment of the State Commissioner of police, we are not happy with the level of insecurity in our state. If this is not done on time, we shall take a more drastic action,” Adeniyi stated.
