THE The Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Southwest, Johnson Kokumo, has announced that police authorities will increase the number of their personnel and deploy more patrol cars on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to pursue kidnappers and other armed bandits on the road.
He made this known on Friday when he and other senior police officials surveyed some hot spots along the road on the ground.
The PUNCH reports that the move is not unrelated to the recent increase in kidnappings, banditry and other misdeeds that have led to the death of many travelers, while some kidnap victims have paid substantial amounts of money as ransom.
Kokumo said the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, had directed him and the Oyo Police Commissioner, Adebowale Williams, to monitor the road and make necessary recommendations to stop kidnappings, armed robberies and other misdeeds.
He said, “The Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, who is seriously concerned about the spate of kidnappings and other crimes along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, has directed me to look into the matters and make the report in conjunction with the Oyo Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, to find a lasting solution to the heinous crime
We have seen what was responsible for what could aptly be called the need for action and we will address it.
“We have made our observations. Where we do not have enough security personnel, we will remedy that. We will also look at the areas where we need to lament more patrol cars for effective surveillance and rapid response to emergency calls.
We will draw the attention of concerned local authorities and government agencies to the overgrown bushes and shrubs on the side of the expressway. We want an expressway where roads are visible at appropriate intervals.
"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good: His love endures forever."
“We also call on residents of communities along the expressway to cooperate with the police to track down the criminals. The perpetrators are not strangers. They live among the people.”
