The Commissioner of Police, Edo State, Mr. Chris Ezike, on Monday vowed to personally lead street patrols and raids against cultists and other criminal gangs in their various hideouts across the state.
Ezike led the special crack squad deployed by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, which resulted in the arrest of 56 suspected cultists in Benin, the state capital.
The police commissioner, who just assumed his new office last week from Rivers State command, noted that the prevalence of sophisticated crimes had necessitated the use of high visibility policing.
He spoke during his maiden meeting with Senior Officers, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Heads of Departments in Benin, where he also charged them to “sacrifice” their personal comfort for the safety of the general public.
CP Ezike identified areas such as Ore-Okada-Benin highway, Benin-Lagos road, Benin-Agbor road and Benin-Oluku-Akure road as points with high incidences of crime and charged the officers to use scientific methods in tackling crimes in their jurisdictions.
“I will personally lead by example. I will participate in patrols, I will participate in raids, I will respond to distresses.
“I encourage other officers to follow suit; we must work with purpose, direction and zeal”, he added.
Ezike listed crime-mapping, intelligence-led policing and inter-agency cooperation and coordination as part of strategies the police would adopt to tackle crime in the state.
The police boss also announced the immediate recall of policemen illegally posted to protect individuals as well as the reduction of office personnel by 50 per cent in order to boost field operations.
