…As Benue, Kogi police launch joint taskforce to flush out border criminal havens”
Benue State Governor, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia has expressed confidence in the Operation Handshake Patrol introduced by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, stressing that it will enhance security checks at border areas and dislodge criminal havens.
Operation Handshake Patrol Taskforce has no boundary restriction for combing forests, especially at the border areas, for criminal hideouts.
Governor Alia said that with the determination and sincerity of personnel, a situation where criminals use a neighbouring state as haven after committing mayhem in another, will become a thing of the past.
A statement by Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State, stated that Governor Alia pledged to sustain his special attention on supporting security agencies to secure Benue State.
Alia’s statement followed a joint meeting held last Thursday by Commissioners of Benue and Kogi State Commands at Ankpa Local Government Area conference Hall.
The Commissioners of Police CP Cletus Nwudiogbu of Benue State command and CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi of Kogi State, announced the setting up of the joint Taskforce, saying that it was meant to ensure the safety of lives and property of residents around border communities of the two states.
The police bosses explained that establishing the joint Taskforce was in response to the directive of the Inspector General of Police to ensure that there was no hidden place for criminal elements at the border communities of the two states by breaking the barriers of jurisdiction.
Specifically, CP Nwudiogbu explained that with the Operation Handshake, police from Benue state and Kogi have taken over the forest of the two states stressing that there would be no haven for criminal elements between the two states as police could enter any state to arrest any bandit, criminal or terrorist who commit a crime and run to hide in another.
Nwudiogbu also said the two police commands have also provided the citizens of the two states an appropriate channel where they would lodge their complaint without taking law into their hands, and assured that they would remain resolute in the restoration of peace at the border communities.
Speaking in turn, CP Bello Kankarofi noted that the event was a practical demonstration of the two police command’s shared commitment aimed at strengthening the security at their borders towards ensuring that host communities remain safe for law-abiding citizens.
Kankarofi called on the Governors of two states to provide the required logistics for effective patrol of security personnel between the two states and charged police officers to be professional in their conduct.
The Commissioner of Police tasked police officers to ensure that the host communities set agenda for them for effective policing.
CP Kankarofi assured the residents of the two states that they would soon see tangible results from the collaboration and commended Governors Hyacinth Alia of Benue and Usman Ododo of Kogi for their passion for the safety of their citizens.
Also speaking, the Commander 21 Brigade, Ankpa Kogi state, Lieutenant Colonel JS Monde, assured that the Nigerian Army would continue to support the police and other sister security agencies towards achieving peace at border communities.
Col Monde called on members of the public to always provide credible and timely information to security agencies to enable them to secure their communities.
