Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said that the security situation across the 18 local government areas of the state is improving significantly.
Obaseki stated this on Monday in Benin while reviewing the state security situation for the month of October, after a joint security meeting with all heads of security agencies in the state.
According to him, “report shows that the security situation is improving. If you look at the data from July to October, you will see that the trend is declining in kidnapping, drugs, homicide, armed robbery and vehicular accidents.
“We have the security agencies to thank. The Operation Steal Water has helped to reduce kidnapping in Edo and we have to thank the army for that; it’s the effect of all they’ve been doing that shows in the statistics we displayed today.”
The governor said that a task force would be constituted on November 29 on the issue of land grabbing in the state.
“We have also decided to set up a team that will be responsible for reconciling aggrieved communities on issues concerning land; this is just to make sure that we have peace in our land.
“We are also concerned about the cultivation and use of drugs in the state. We are working out something that will help us address the issue of drugs cultivation and its use by young people in the state,” he stated.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Philip Ogbadu, called on residents to avoid travelling at night, saying that measures were being put in place to reduce crime in the state.
Ogbadu urged residents to take security situation very seriously and report any suspicious incident to the police.
Mr Williams Waba, Chief Security Officer to the Governor, while giving summary of the incidents under review, highlighted kidnapping, drugs and homicide as the highest recorded incidents.
He listed others to include armed robbery, vehicular accidents, rape and cultism, among others.
Waba said that Oredo Local Government Area of the state had the highest number of crime, ranging from kidnapping, drugs to homicide.
He ascribed the successes recorded to collaboration among security operatives, including the vigilante groups, in the state.
