RIVERS SERIAL KILLER: The Police Should Sit-Up And Protect The Lives of Rivers Women TheNigerialawyer

* There should be no excuse for incompetence.

Serial killing, though seems a less charted territory in our
criminal jurisprudence, can be effectively dealt with and clearly
outfoxed in this global era of forensic science.

It’s no longer news that a new paradigm in crime and criminality
just reared up in Rivers State in the form of serial killings of
young women in Portharcourt hotels.

There’s no gain saying that protection of lives and property is
a cardinal obligation of every government. Though I must commend
the Rivers State government efforts in the fight against crime and
criminality in the State with the recent launch of a new security
outfit, codenamed ‘Operation Sting’ to boost security in the
State.

It’s rather worrisome that this ugly serial killer wave is
coming not long after the launch of the said new outfit. The
worrisome rhetoric now is; How has the police faired in the
management of the new security outfit with regard to curbing crime
in the state? The simple answer that comes to mind here, with this
sour development, is that much is yet left undone.

The Police should wake from it’s slumber now and focus her
energy on strategies to arrest and prosecute these bloody serial
killers and quickly put an end to this ugly trend that has befallen
the state. Engaging every useful technological tool to achieving
this feat should be top on the agenda of government and all
security agencies. The comment reportedly made by one of the
security agencies, linking the murdered victims to prostitution is
a bad generalization, unprofessional and condemnable.

It amounts simply to fetching a defence for failure in crime
fighting. Such utterance can inflict a lifetime trauma to the
innocent victim’s already devastated family. I condemn such
distasteful remark in it’s entirety and call on the concerned
authorities to disclaim same without equivocation. There should be
no excuse to condone crime.

It’s good to hear that security agencies has unmasked and
arrested one of the suspects using a CCTV footage in one of the
affected hotels. I commend them and urge them never to rest on
their oars but to leverage on this milestone to achieving the
end.

These incidents have exposed serious security hazards in our
nation’s hospitality industry. There’s now an urgent need for a
government policy on standardised guest identification and security
system in hotels and guest houses across Nigeria. Rivers State
Government should kickstart this policy and clamp down on all
facilities operating below set security standards.

This grim reign of terror is very terrifying. I call on the
Government and all concerned security/intelligence agencies to
swift into action and get to the root of this crime. The state
should deploy it’s might and security agencies should engage the
best technology to ensure that these serial killers are stopped,
arrested at all costs and prosecuted.

Finally, I call on FIDA, AWLA and other Women bodies in Rivers
State to embark on campaigns aimed at sensitizing our younger women
on how best to avoid these criminals and stay safe.

I most heartedly commiserate with the families of the dead
victims of this barbarism and pledge to stand with them through
this traumatic period until justice is attained for their
respective deceased family members.

#STOPTHESERIALKILLERNOW!!!

#WOMENLIVESMATTER.

Okey Leo Ohagba, Esq. ChMC.
Immediate Past NBA 1st Asst. Secretary.

Again: FG Reaffirms to Upgrade Stadia
Nationwide
The Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has once again
reaffirmed his commitment and political will to upgrade, manage and
maintain in high standard, stadia across the Nation.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare made
his assertion during his visit to some stadia recently, National
Stadium Surulere, Onikan, and campus memorial all in Lagos
state.
As regards the decaying state of the National Stadium Surulere the
Minister assured that Ministry will consult and sit with experts
and stakeholders including auditors to work out best options.
Dare promised to put in motion a process of refurbishing the
edifice which he said is central to bringing back the culture of
sports, which will require political will, and synergy of various
levels of Government, Federal Government, States and Local
Governments working together and most importantly a large dose of
participation by the private sector.
Similarly, Mr. Sunday Dare has also visited the M.K.O National
Stadium Abuja, Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna as well as inspecting
other stadia, he said that Government is ready to upgrade, manage
and maintain these facilities to its optimal working condition that
will attract a huge number of Youth involving themselves in
deferent sporting activities, thereby divertingtheir minds and
attention from vices.
The Minister said this will be one of the several inspections that
will be done on the facilities, reports and audits will be done
before the actual renovation. He said that Government is determined
to build the capacity and good virtues of our youths through the
standard upgrade of these stadia to enhance and ensure relative
peace and security in Nigeria.
As the saying goes, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” but when
these youths are positively engaged in one sporting game or the
other in these standard and well equipped stadia, they will become
good citizens of the Nigerian society.

Hasiya Haruna
Information Officer.
For: Director Press.