By Egufe Yafugborhi
WARRI – THE absence of the monarch and other prominent leaders dimmed peace move the Acting Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, who on Friday, visited the turbulent Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South West local government area, Delta state.

Idris also visited neighboring Ugborodo, host to Chevron Escravos Tank Farm and the Escravos Gas to Liquid, EGTL, project where he equally urged the community led by Olaja-Ori (Spiritual Head), Benson Omadeli to support sustainable peace in the area.

At Oporoza, traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, the IGP said, “It’s the responsibility of government to provide security, so we are here to assure members of Gbaramatu kingdom that police and soldiers posted here are not their enemies. This visit is purely to bring us closer to the people which we are meant to protect.”

Vice Chairman, Oporoza community, Morris Tebela, explaining the failure of prominent Gbaramatu leaders to be present to rub minds with the IGP noted that many of the community indigenes who fled during military invasion were yet to return to their homes for fear of further military attacks.

At Ugborodo, the Olaja-Ori, who acknowledged Idris as the first IGP to have visited the remote community since Nigeria’s independence, appealed through the visitor to President Muhammadu Buhari to increase security presence, especially that of the Nigerian Navy in the area.

Idris, in response, promised to establish police presence in the community, saying: “We are here to help you; we are here to seek partnership with the people and development will not come is there is no peace.”