From Yakubu Busari, Jos
The Commissioner of Police in Plateau state, Bartholomew Onyeka has advised Chairmen of the 17 Local Governments to make provision of monthly stipend for the vigilante and hunter groups in their communities towards improving the security networks to reduce crime and criminality in the state.
VP Onyeka made the plea during an interface with the 17 council chairmen in the state to look at the ways of addressing repeated farmers-herders clashes as farming activities kick off with the coming of raining season.
Speaking to Local Government chairmen and Divisional Police officers (DPOs) at the police officers Mess in Jos, Monday, Onyeka said the meeting was very vital most especially to debunk the insinuation that youth corpers deployed to the state don’t want to come due fear of the unknown .
He said ever since assumption of duty in the state as police commissioner about one year, five months now, the command in line with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) directive have introduced social and security committee to curb farmers herders clashes.
“I called this meeting for us to work together as a team, most especially now that farming season is kick starting in earnest, he said, adding that,
“It is your responsibility as a chief security officers of your various localities to help the police and other security outfits in your domain. Through your collaboration we can move a mountain that cannot be moved.
“We will not rest in our oars as far as community policing is concerned. Therefore, keep furnishing us with tangible information to end crime and criminality in the state.
The chairman of Shendam LGA, Hon.Alex Naantuam who also double as the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, chairman in the state applauded the CP for the well thought initiative armed at ensuring a crime free society.
Naantuam believed that the interface is another avenue created for the local government administrators to come together and cross-breed ideas as each local government had its own peculiarity.
He said, “recall that some communities in Plateau have witnessed incessant killings as a result of attacks by gunmen, the situation that prompted protests from community members as they called for the removal of the personnel of Operation Safe HAVEN (OPSH), and to be replaced by the Mobile Police.
“Also, the coalition of Plateau youths raised alarm over a coordinated attacks that was being perpetrated by enemies of the state in Riyom, Bokkos, Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Jos South Local Governments, aiming at disrupting farming activities and destroying the economy of the state, calling on the Plateau state government to take proactive measures to avert further killings.”
