By Augustine Ehikioya
Clamping down on crimes and criminality in Delta State, the Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Ari Mohammed Ali, has said that a great number of criminal suspects have been arrested in the last one year.
Those arrested, he said, included armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists and murderers that were terrorizing the state before his assumption of duty in the State.
He spoke exclusively with Security Watch Africa (SWA) crew in his office at Asaba, Delta State.
He said “Today in Nigeria, there is no geopolitical zone that is crime free, there is no zone without crime and criminality. Similarly, in Delta State, we have kidnapping, cultism, herders/farmers clashes, and land grabbing.
“On assumption of duty early last year to date, crime-fighting structures have been put in place, which have assisted tremendously in ensuring that crime rate is not just reduced, but brought to the minimal level,” he added.
Reeling out his achievements in the past one year, he said that 339 armed robbers were arrested, 116 kidnappers arrested, 899 cultists arrested and 108 murder suspects were arrested.
Within the same period, the CP said that 123 kidnapped victims were rescued, 14 IEDs detonated and recovered, while 245 vehicles were recovered from all the various cases.
Despite the achievements recorded in the last one year, CP Mohammed Ali assured that the Delta State Police Command will not rest on its oars because of the spirit and dedication of its officers and men to fighting crimes.
Because of the existing peaceful atmosphere in the State, he said, Delta State has become the economic hub of the South-South and the South-East.
“This is where people come to unwind themselves because of the relative peace that the state is enjoying.
“Even the Army came here to have their retreat programme. NUPENG were here early part of this year to have their annual convention, and so many other organizations.
“This is because they feel Delta State today is the safest in Nigeria. And we are proud to say we are indeed one of the safest States in this country,” he stated.
Asked to list the factors that assisted the command to achieve the relative peace in the state, he mentioned his believe that Delta State should remain safe and peaceful, and the community policing in the state.
Other factors, according to him, included the technology being used to fight crime in the state, the input from the state government, and the zeal and commitment of officers and men of the state command, which have served as a major boost.