Calls For A More Effective Collaboration Between Communities, Govt. And Security Agencies
— Says Unemployment Is Not An Excuse For Criminality
The chairman of Emohua local government area, Dr Chidi Lloyd has called for a more effective collaboration between community leaders, local government council and the security agencies to stabilize peace and security in the local government area.
Dr Lloyd said his administration was able to embark on critical infrastructural projects across the local government area within one hundred days in office because of the relative peace in the area.
The council chairman stated these at a town hall security meeting of Nigeria Army’s “Exercise Still Waters” held at Emohua council secretariat on Friday.
Dr Lloyd commended the Nigeria Army and other security agencies for their collaboration with the local government and leaders of various communities in the local government area which resulted to the relative peace in the area.
He urged residents of the area not to feel frightened by the presence of security patrol in the communities during the festive period, stating that the essence of exercise still waters by the Nigeria Army is to improve the safety and security of lives and properties in the communities.
The council chairman further urged residents of the area to provide useful information that could lead to the apprehension of criminals in the area, stressing that security of lives and properties cannot be left for security personnel alone.
Meanwhile Dr Chidi Lloyd has declared that unemployment is not an excuse for anyone to indulge criminality.
Receiving a group of repentant cultists from Emohua local government area who recently renounced their cult membership in Omega Power Ministry (OPM) at the exercise still waters town hall meeting on Friday, the council chairman said the government will place the former cultists on probation for a period of time to ascertain the sincerity of their repentance.
He said it is deceitful for anyone to claim that unemployment led them to crime and criminality, stressing that such excuses were only given by criminal minded individuals who could not justify their involvement in crime and criminality.
He however called for the reintegration of the repentant cultists into their various communities but warned that anyone caught going back to crime after their readmission into their communities would be visited with the full weight of the law.
The exercise still waters town hall security meeting which featured lectures and interactive session is an initiative of the 6th division of Nigeria Army to create awareness against oil bunkering, cultism, kidnapping and all forms of social vices and to seek collaboration with community leaders for effective community policing and crime fighting.
The exercise which is taking place simultaneously across the south-south states (Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states) is expected to last for three months.
The garrison commander 6th division of Nigeria Army and heads of other security agencies and special security units all took turns to shed light on the benefits of an effective collaboration between communities and security agencies in crime fighting, as well as the dangers associated with illegal oil bunkering, kidnapping, cultism and other social vices, whilst calling on parents and guardians to give their children the necessary upbringing that will keep them away from crime and criminality.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of a plaque to the Dr Chidi Lloyd by the Nigeria Army in recognition of the council chairman’s commitment to the fight against crime and criminality in Emohua local government area.
