Guber election: Security situation in Edo frightening ― Police, DSS

AHEAD of the September governorship election in Edo State, the commissioner of police in the state, Mr Lawal Jimeta, and the Zonal Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Mohammed Waziri, have described the security situation in the state as frightening.

Against the backdrop of recent security challenges in the state, Jimeta and Waziri who spoke separately at a meeting of stakeholders held in Benin agreed that the situation is capable of scaring both local and international investors away.

The security chiefs advised politicians to solve political problems politically so that the security agencies could invest its resources on security challenges facing the state.

Jimeta who declared the meeting opened said “a tumultuous situation will scare away development. We are concerned with certain incidences that happened in the state. This includes but not limited to thuggery, lawlessness and the recent development which involves the use of explosives.

“The use of explosives is definitely a worrisome development not only in Edo State but all over the country. So, it is our responsibility as security operatives to ensure that these ugly situations are not repeated. We can only do so by meeting with the stakeholders so that you can talk to your supporters that violence does not bring any development and does not guarantee political success. Violence can only bring destruction and hardship to our people. We want to say categorically that peace and security of this state will remain professionally in our hands. We will ensure that anybody that breaks the law is brought to book,” he said.

According to him, the security agencies on its part will ensure that they are truthful and professional in whatever they do to ensure that there is peace and security in Edo State.

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“We, therefore, warn mischief and troublemakers to leave Edo State or to live peacefully in the state. In conclusion, I am also appealing to all of us especially the stakeholders that this is not going to be the first and last meeting of calling you to find solutions to ensure that the forthcoming election is peaceful and guarantee that the right of citizens of Edo State are not trampled upon,” he said.

The DSS director on his part said, “from intelligent purview, the indicators in the state are very frightening, as the CP said it started like a child play with disruption of meetings and developed into mega disruptions and unfortunately physical attacks in peoples residences with arms and IEDs.

“But worse still, we have the intelligence of mobilisations from even neighbouring states, Kogi, Bayelsa, Delta of individuals that can come and cause mayhem within the state. We have information which is in the public domain, Edo is the next in line in the series of the election in the country. The entire world is watching. Edo is on the watch of the international community already, the EU, the AU, the Americans, the British are all coming around expressing their fears. Even foreign investors and local investors are expressing these fears.

“We believe that we should share ideas and information with stakeholders on how to handle the security of the state and maintain peace and order. Let me also observe that of recent, Edo has been witnessing series of attacks, as we are talking some technical teams are moving around the three senatorial districts of Edo to interface with stakeholders in resolving the issue of the herdsmen-farmers clash.”

While using the opportunity to advise politicians to get to the root of their problems by addressing political problems so that the security agencies will have the resources, manpower and time to deal with security challenges, he lamented that on a daily basis there are issues of kidnapping in different parts of the state.