By James Ogunnaike

ABEOKUTA – The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson has attributed the cause of major violent crime in the society to cultism, insisting that the greatest security challenge confronting the State is cultism.

The Commissioner spoke when the student community in the State, comprising representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), among others met with him at his office in the Command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

The meeting was facilitated by the State government through the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor Dapo Abiodun on Students Affairs, Comrade Azeez Adeyemi.

Ebrimson who was responding to the students’ allegation of ill-treatment by operatives of the State Police Command, said the student leaders must support the police with vital information that would help in fighting cultism and other criminal acts in the State.

The students had accused the police of unlawful arrest, harassment and intimidation of students in the State, stressing that students in the State had lost their confidence in the ability of police to protect them.

They also accused the police of alleged constant victimisation and violation of their fundamental human rights, saying many of them had been arrested by the police who often accused them of being internet fraudsters, popularly known as “yahoo boys”.

But Ebrimson dissociated his men from the allegations of the students, saying “some people have just made up their minds to give the police a bad name and hang it.”

His words, “I want to unequivocally say that I dissociate myself from whoever that says there is bad relationship between the police and the students. We (police) are here to protect each and every one of you (students). We are here to make sure that you carry out your studies without any hindrance. We want to give you space, an environment that is very conducive for you to learn, graduate and leave.”

“Cultism is the greatest challenge we have in this State, not armed robbery, not kidnapping and it thrives in tertiary institutions. What are your (students) leaders doing about this? What awareness are you carrying out to curb this.”

“You know the resultant effects of cultism. When two cult groups clash, innocent people are affected. So please, I need your cooperation and I think from time to time we will be having this type of platform to enable us vent our grievances”, the Commissioner added.

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He intimated the students’ representatives that it was important to always preach against cultism, saying that when two cult groups fight, innocent people were often affected.

“I need your assistance, I need your cooperation, particularly in the area of fighting cultism. That is the greatest challenge we have in this state, not armed robbery, not kidnapping but cultism and it thrives in tertiary institutions.

“Cultism has no advantage, it is just a mere group of people trying to have rival supremacy over things that are not worth their lives.

“Cultism is mother of kidnapping, armed robbery, drug peddling. Cultism is the major cause of every violent crime in society. Tell me where you have seen cultists clash without wanton destruction of lives and property.

“There is no society that is free of crime so I want to tell you that the police is the only friend you have. No matter how bitter you feel you must locate a police station to lodge your complaints in the first instance.

“So, please, I need your cooperation and I think from time to time we will be having this type of platform to enable us vent our grievances,” he said.

The police commissioner commended the state government for initiating the students /police relations meeting, adding that there had never been bad relationship between the police and the students .

Earlier in his remark, the Special Assistant on Students Matters, Azeez Adeyemi said, the meeting was held on the directive of Governor Abiodun, who according to him is a peace-loving Governor who wants peace in all parts of the State.

He appealed to the police boss to curtail the excesses of his men in the State and see students as partners in progress and agents of peace instead perceiving the students as police enemies.

Adeyemi said, “I want to appeal to you that you continue to see the students as partners in progress and agents of peace and be rest assured that when we are well managed, we will both always have the desired results.

He added, “I want to also implore you that, you should continue to see Nigerian students as a key factor in maintaining peace and as well combating crime in the State.”

Adeyemi pledged that the student community would continue support and cooperate with the police in their efforts to rid the state of crime.

Vanguard Nigeria News