Kidnapping: NBA, Others Seek Transfer of Ondo Police Commissioner

The Elders Council of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akure,
Ondo State branch yesterday joined other groups calling for the
Cimmissioner of Police, Mr Gbenga Adeyanju to be transferred out
iof the state over incessant cases of robberies and
kidnappings.

Citizen is the latest among several groups to demand the removal
of the Commissioner in- charge of the Ondo State Police Command,
Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, for alleged
The call of the NBA council came after a group Sunshine Liberation
Forum (SLF) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State, had
called for the removal of the police commissioner due to the
security situation in the Sunshine State. They accused the
commissioner of poor handling of frequent cases of kidnappings in
the state. The NBA Elders Council made the call after rising from
an emergency meeting of past and present chairmen and secretaries
as well as leaders of the bar in the state.

Addressing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the leader
of the council, Senator Anthony Adeniyi said the police
commissioner had shown that he could not handle the spate of crimes
in the state especially kidnapping of lawyers and other members of
the public on Akure-Owo-Ikare Akoko Highways and Akure-Iju-Ikere
Ekiti road.

Adeniyi, flanked by the NBA Akure Branch Chairman, Mr Ola
Dan-Olawale and a former State Attorney General of the state, Remi
Olatubora, said from all the association’s findings, it was obvious
that the Inspector General of police must deploy a more competent
top officer to Ondo State to flush-out kidnappers from the forests
where travellers were being frequently abducted in the state.

“We are not saying the police commissioner is not competent but
Ondo State people demand for a more competent top officer who can
tackle this spate of kidnapping that is causing serious
apprehension among our members (lawyers), their family members and
the generality of the people in the state. We can no longer move or
travel around freely and the police seem to be doing nothing or not
doing enough to stop this trend.

“Some states have more than eight commissioner of police in a
year, just to ensure security of lives and property, nobody is tied
permanently to Ondo State, we unequivocally demand the redeployment
of the state commissioner of police, we are not happy with the
level insecurity in our state. If this is not done on time, we
shall take a more drastic action”, Adeniyi said.

However, the lawyers commended the state governor, Mr
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the Nigerian Army and other security
operatives for their efforts in tackling crimes in the state

“After taking a briefing from one of pur members, Hon Taofeeq
Abdulsalam (Ondo State Commissioner for Works) on what the
Akeredolu’s administration is doing to tackle the kidnapping issue,
we are satisfied with efforts of the state government and the army
to protect lives and property.

“ The governor is sensitive to the security of lives and
properties of the people but we are not happy with the roles of the
police in the whole situation”, he said.

Other groups such the Owo Branch of NBA, the Sunshine Liberation
Front (SLF), Ondo Youths for Good Governance, (OYGG) and the
opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had also asked the
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris to redeploy Adeyanju
and replace him with a more competent officer, saying the police in
the state had failed to protect lives and properties of the
citizenry.

Related