By Esosa Omorogbe.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 5, Shola David, has warned hoodlums and anybody with criminal intent to stay off the streets of Edo and Delta states, just as he urged law abiding citizens to go about their legitimate businesses.
AIG Shola David who gave the warning following series of burgling of some warehouses in Benin, the Edo State capital under the guise of EndSARS protest said it will no longer be business as usual
While briefing journalists shortly before a Strategic Management Meeting, AIG David assured residents of the two states that the Police is resolved to restore public confidence, just as he appealed to the media to do accurate reportage of the incidents to help check cases of fake news which he said was aggravating the crisis.
He disclosed that the Inspector
-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, had directed the police to occupy all their areas of operation to provide security.
“The IGP however warns trouble-makers not to test the collective will of the nation by coming out to cause any further breakdown of law and order."
“To this end, I appeal to the law abiding citizens of Edo and Delta states to go about their lawful businesses that the Police will do all within their statutory powers to ensure protection of lives and property.
“Therefore, I advise parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to eschew crimes and criminality and avoid the temptation of joining criminal elements in perpetuating violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private property.”
On his part, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Babatunde Johnson Kokumo, said several arrests have been made, insisting that only hoodlums and not EndSARS protesters were arrested.
He said the attack on warehouses on Saturday was indication that the protesters were now hoodlums and arsonists, warning that any of them caught would be treated as such.
He said, “Three police stations were razed, some police vehicles were also burnt in so many cases, exhibit vehicles were also burnt. But we thank God there have not been any casualty of death of police personnel.
“We have made a number of arrests and we are still out to make more arrests, arrests of hoodlums, not protesters so those who have attacked police formations; those who have set police stations on fire; those who set police patrol vehicles on fire, exhibit vehicles on fire; those who have physically assaulted police officers will not be treated as protesters but hoodlums and we are still on their trail”
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