By Staff Reporter.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Patrick Daaor, has urged residents, community-based organisations and the Edo State Special Security Squad (ESSSS) to strengthen collaboration with the police to sustain peace and security across the state.
Daaor gave the charge when he received a delegation of the ESSSS, led by its Chief Security Officer (CSO) and Principal Security Officer (PSO), during a courtesy visit to the Edo State Police Command.
The commissioner said private citizens had the right to arrest suspected criminals and hand them over to the police, but warned against jungle justice, mob action and other forms of unlawful punishment.
“As a private citizen, you can arrest and hand over suspects to the police. We frown at jungle justice, mob action and any such thing,” Daaor said.
He said the primary objective of the command was to keep Edo State safe, stressing that sustained cooperation among the police, sister security agencies and groups established by the state government was critical to achieving the goal.
The commissioner urged members of the security squad to work closely with the police and ensure that their activities remained within the mandate for which they were established by the state government.
Daaor assured the squad of the command’s readiness to maintain a cordial working relationship with them, noting that effective collaboration among security stakeholders was essential to combating crime across the state.
He also emphasised the need for security personnel to respect the rights and dignity of residents while performing their duties.
“We encourage you to ensure that you treat the people of Edo State well, with respect and dignity.
“That is exactly what I have been doing since I took over here. Yes, we have a job to do, but doing that job does not mean you ride roughshod over people,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the ESSSS, Noah Idemudia said the visit was primarily to formally introduce the squad to Daaor, who assumed office as Commissioner of Police in Edo State in August.
Idemudia said Edo State had previously faced serious challenges relating to cultism but credited Governor Monday Okpebholo with providing the platform that enabled the squad to operate effectively.
“We would say we have achieved a lot. We have been able to curb cultism to the barest minimum in Edo,” he said.
He commended the outgoing police leadership and other security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, vigilante groups and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for their cooperation with the squad.
Idemudia appealed to the new commissioner to sustain the existing partnership between the police and the squad, saying the collaboration had contributed significantly to the successes recorded in the fight against cultism.
“We want to beg your indulgence to please continue the cooperation that we have been having with your men; it has yielded great success,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the new commissioner’s experience would further strengthen security operations in the state.
The ESSSS coordinator also used the visit to highlight some challenges confronting the squad in the discharge of its duties and appealed to the commissioner to intervene and help resolve areas of disagreement with police personnel.
The meeting ended with both sides reaffirming the importance of closer collaboration in tackling crime and maintaining peace across Edo State.
