Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has accused the Governor of Ekiti State Ayodele Fayose, of being responsible for the increasing wave of kidnapping across the state.
According to the rights activist, the state government has itself to blame for deliberately providing official cover for armed gangs and other criminally-minded individuals who have been perpetrating violence in Ekiti State.
He cited the case of the House of Assembly complex which has allegedly been occupied by armed elements since November, last year with the connivance of the state government.
The lawyer also alleged, “In the atmosphere of impunity which currently obtains in the country, the well known armed thugs operating in Ekiti State have been granted immunity by the Federal Government. Hence, police officers are under strict instructions not to arrest or prosecute any of them.
“Recently, a commissioner of police who was determined to rid the state of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes was queried and investigated by the Police Service Commission. Even though he was not indicted in the dubious probe set up by the police authorities, the Police Service Commission ensured that he was removed and posted out of the state.
“Based on such official endorsement of criminality, kidnappers and other criminal elements have been having a field day in Ekiti State.”
Fayose pleads with IGP to end kidnapping in Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Monday ran to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase to come to his rescue and end the reign of kidnappers in the state. According to Fayose, the increasing wave of crime in the state is beyond the capacity of the state government.
Fayose, who paid a visit to the IG at the Force Headquarters, lamented that the State Police Command was also powerless to stem the crime in the state.
The Ekiti governor said the citizens were now afraid to come out to pursue their economic activities for fear that they might be the next victims of kidnappers who had abducted two people within three weeks.
“I came to see the IG over the security situation in Ekiti State, especially kidnapping which is strange to the state. Within three weeks, two people have been kidnapped and the command and state government couldn’t handle it.
“I plead with you (IG) to please stem the trend and save us from further kidnapping; it’s for us to learn from this intervention and guard against a recurrence as a state.”
In his response, Arase stated that the police would not allow criminals to hijack any state, adding that every state having security issues and “social disorder will have police intervention.”
The IG assured that he would deploy a crack squad to Ekiti and Kogi states within 48 hours to protect the citizens from further assault from criminal gangs.
“We are carrying out a wholesale operation to restore sanity in the state; the people of Ekiti should be assured that we won’t allow violence to give them sleepless nights. In the next 48 hours, I will deploy a crack squad to protect the state,” he promised.
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