By Sam Tyav, Makurdi
Commissioner of Police (CP), Benue State Police Command, Dr Ifeanyi Emenari, has assured of sustained onslaught on criminals in the State to ensure peace.
Dr. Emenari disclosed this when the Forum of Investigative Journalists (FoIJ) paid him a courtesy call at the Command headquarters in Makurdi,the state capital.
The CP revealed that bandits’ camps located along Makurdi-Yelwata and Makurdi-Naka roads had been destroyed, adding that the Command was intensifying efforts against the pushback by criminal gangs.
Speaking further, Emenari revealed that, before their destruction, the camps had aided the criminals to unleash violent attacks and terror on travelers and residents, explaining that their destruction effectively dislodged the criminals and reduced the frequency of attacks in the affected areas.
While dismissing the notion that the persistent killings in the State were politically motivated, he said that ”there is no politics in the killing of the people.”
The Police boss appreciated the residents of the State for their cooperation, saying that journalists and others were demonstrating appreciable commitment to fight the security threats, urging everyone to continue in that spirit even as he sued for greater collaboration.
On relationship with newsmen, Emenari insisted that “if there is bad press, good work can turn to bad work”, emphasizing that Benue journalists were showing a great deal of synergy in the crime fight through their objective and professional reportage.
The CP assured that the police would not relent until peace was fully restored to the state.
On the reported recent killing of unarmed civilians in Jato-Aka, Kwande Local Government Area, the CP attributed it to stray bullets during an exchange of fire between suspected criminals and special security personnel on patrol in the area.
The killings occurred during a military chase of armed suspects in Jato-Aka, which ended in a crossfire that accidentally struck three students, killing one and injuring two,he disclosed.
The Police Commissioner told the journalists that investigations were ongoing to ascertain the actual circumstance in the sad event, even as additional personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order in the area.
Leader of the forum, Mr. Tamenor Kwaghzer, publisher of ClearNewsEcho, had earlier in his remarks, appreciated CP Emenari for the steps already taken to tackle insecurity in the state and urged him to sustain collaboration with sister security agencies.
He appealed for stronger police-media cooperation for enhanced accurate information flow and assured the Command of the forum’s commitment to the promotion of peace and accountability.
*PHOTO CAPTION: CP Emenari.
