The Nigerian Air Force on Wednesday called for collaboration among the security agencies to rid the Niger-Delta region of all forms of crime.
Air Vice-Marshal Emmanuel Akogu, the new Air Officer Commanding the Mobility Command in Bayelsa, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa.
Akogu, who pledged to tackle kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, and piracy at sea using air patrols, expressed his readiness to work closely with relevant stakeholders to make Bayelsa safer for residents.
He said: “I will also want to key into the security apparatus of the state.
“I am presently visiting all gallant security agencies to have a common front in nipping in the bud any of the security problems that we are likely to have.
“I believe that together we can make Bayelsa state safer than what it is now.
“So, I’m trying to collaborate with all the other agencies, so, that we have synergy and we can re-cooperate to move the state close to being a total area where criminals will not operate.
“So, these are my objectives.
“In the military, we have various arms of the service; we have the air force, the navy and we have the army.
“I know for sure that the policing of most of our pipelines, the navy have been doing a lot to make sure that our waterways, our creeks, our pipelines are well policed, so as to totally eradicate vandals and enemies of progress of the nation.’’
Akogu, however said that top of his priorities in the fight against crimes would include the deployment of aircrafts at the Igbogene and Otuoke airstrips in the state to enhance operations.
NAN reports that the Air Officer Commanding Bayelsa Mobility Command is embarking on media familiarisation tour and has so far visited the Nigeria Television Authority and NAN Offices in Yenagoa. (NAN)