Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
As part of strategies to tackle the spate of insecurity challenges across the country, the Nigeria Police has launched Operation Puff Adder in Osun State.
Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone XI, comprising Ondo, Osun and Oyo states, Adeleye Oyebade, disclosed this at the Zonal Command Headquarters in Osogbo, the state capital, yesterday, where the programme was launched.
Oyebade said the security outfit was launched in compliance with the instruction of the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Adamu, who had directed that it must be replicated in all the zonal and state commands; to complement existing security structures.
He said the new operation outfit, which would tackle security challenges in the three states, had begun to yield positive results since it was launched in compliance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive.
Oyebade said the primary motive of any serious government is to guarantee security of lives and property as well as the welfare of the people.
He assured that the new special security outfit would demonstrate diligence and carry out the assigned tasks expected of them with integrity in order to safeguard the fundamental human rights of the citizens.
The police boss assured of enough operational vehicles for the command’s men and officers to carry out the new tasks ahead of them.
The AIGP, however, disclosed that the police needed the support of the people to succeed in their assignments by serving as watchdogs within their respective environments through different means of communication.
“The place of peace and security in the socio-political development of any nation cannot be overemphasised. And the place of the police in providing an enabling environment for peace and tranquillity to strive for the sustenance of our nascent democracy is sacrosanct.
“The challenges of prevailing heinous crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, cattle rustling, armed banditry and other serious crimes often stare us in the face.
“Given this circumstance, the police cannot abdicate their responsibility, hence, there is need to confront these hydra-headed monsters headlong.”
“It is our conviction that, with the new security outfit added to the existing security apparatus in the zone, the security challenges in the three states under the zone would be tackled adequately,” Oyebade said.
In attendance were the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Ige, her Oyo State counterpart, Shima Olukolu as well as the Ondo State Commisioner of Police, Undie Aidu.