Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has urged the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Philip Maku to focus more on night patrol while discharging his duties.
Umahi gave the charge on Tuesday in Abakaliki while receiving Maku on a courtesy call.
He charged government officials especially those in charge of security to follow such a trend.
The governor said that the presence of government officials’ vehicles and security agencies at night had a serious impact and scare criminals away.
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“Each time I embark on night patrol around 1. am, for instance, I will see the former state CP, Peace Ibekwe-Abdallah at the same time patrolling.
“I want the new CP to do that for me and will be happy to meet my commissioners among other officials during night inspections.
“We should have the same level of passion for the state as we do not want to hear of kidnap, armed robbery, a communal crisis among others in the state any longer,” he said.
Umahi said that he was appalled with the current security situation in the state and had held serious deliberations with government officials in charge of security.
“Communities are concerned about security in the state and are currently pointing accusing fingers on people.
“They are saying that if we didn’t have incidences of armed robbery, kidnapping among others in the state for two years, why are we having such presently.
“Armed robbers raided the house of a bishop for three hours at Onwe road, Abakaliki and nobody came there,” he lamented.
He said that the government would formulate a process of securing court injunctions, to detain and not bail people who commit crimes until investigations were concluded.
“The people we granted a pardon in February went back to armed robbery and this is why I will not offer unconditional pardon to anyone till I leave office,” he said.
The new CP, Maku, thanked the governor for receiving him and pledged to work assiduously in ensuring that the people of the state ‘sleep with two eyes closed’.
“The art of governance requires the security and welfare of the people which will make us employ community partnership and technology in crime prevention.
“Security is everybody’s business as community partnership will reduce the unforeseen to the barest minimum,” he said.
He solicited the co-operation of the people to reduce crime, noting that there was no perfection in humans which made elements of crimes to exist.