An emergency meeting of the Ekiti State Security Council took place on Monday with a view to arresting the spate of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state following the killing of two and abduction of five people in the last one week.
Briefing the press of the council’s resolution after the meeting, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Owoseni Ajayi, stated that the council frowned at the high incidence of kidnapping in the state in the last one week, vowing not only to rescue the victims in the custody of the kidnappers alive, but to stamp out kidnapping activities in the state.
According to the press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, and made available to the press on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, the council said that security measures would be taken to protect life and property and also called on the people particularly landlords, hoteliers to know the kind of people they offer accommodation as laws would be enacted soon that would deal both with the criminals and their accomplices.
It appealed to the people of the state to cooperate with the government and the security agencies, saying there would be strict security measures and check points in strategic places across the state.
The Council resolved that usage of tinted classes would be prohibited, while there would be frequent hotel checks, with a call to hoteliers to monitor their customers and offer information to security agents on any suspected person, saying any hotel linked to criminals would be sealed up.
Plantations of indian hemps and cannabis would also be impounded henceforth, while culprits would be prosecuted as efforts would be made for the enactment of relevant laws to decisively deal with the criminals and their accomplices.
The council said it required the cooperation of everybody in the state to join hands with the government to join hands to fight criminals to a standstill.
The Council also resolved that the state would not condone any invasion of foreign bodies or security threat before and after the May 29 handing over date, advising those muting the idea to drop it in their own interest.
The council praised security agencies in the state over their efforts to ensure there is peace in the state, appealing to religious leaders, traditional rulers, labour leaders and other stakeholders to continue to cooperate with the government and security personnel to provide
adequate security in the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ojune Ibine, who was at the meeting and in a separate press interview, assured people of the state of improved security measure, warning criminals to have a rethink as the police was ready to go all out against them.
He assured that the release of kidnapped persons would soon be effected.
