By SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN — STAKEHOLDERS at a security summit organised by the Edo State Police Command, in Benin City, yesterday, called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Muhammed Abubakar, to deploy more policemen to the state with a view to combating kidnapping and other forms of criminality in the state.

They also called on chairmen of the 18 local government areas in the state to provide vehicles and other logistics to recognised vigilante groups in their areas. They tasked the chairmen on the need to repair dilapidated roads in their domains, so that the police can easily have access to streets in emergency situations.

Retired police officers, retired soldiers, vigilante groups, civil society organisations, youth groups and traditional rulers were part of the summit, chaired by the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Funso Adebanjo.

In his opening remarks, Adebanjo explained that it would be almost impossible for the police to successfully fight crime without the co-operation of the people, adding, “we are here to work, my officers are ready, we only need your corporation because the kidnappers and armed robbers all live in our domain, so we need information to work.”

However, while majority of the stakeholders commended the Police Commissioner for calling for the stakeholders meeting, they stressed the need for the IG and local government areas to assist the police in their job.

According to Chief Asemota from Urhonigbe community, “we want the IG to deploy more men to Edo State. We are over two million people in Edo, but we have few policemen around. The job of securing our people is now left in the hands of vigilante groups. The police cannot combat crime here effectively because they are few.”