Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the State Government is fully prepared to tackle insecurity and will do everything required to protect lives and property in the state. He also declared that the State Government has proscribed all Youth Groups operating in the state because they have been hijacked by cultists.
The Governor in a press statement released by his Special Assistant to on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, while speaking that his government will tackle insecurity on Thursday, handed over 40 Patrol Vans fitted with Communication Gadgets to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), See 4 Eye, Police Anti-Kidnapping , Police Anti-Cultism, Federal Road Safety Corps and Eagle Crime at the Government House Port Harcourt. He said:
“Rivers State Government is fully prepared and will do everything required to protect lives and property. Without the protection of lives and property, there will be no governance and development.
“We are one State that has suffered neglect from the Federal Government in terms of support to fight insecurity. They have refused to pay back funds that we used in constructing Federal Projects. But that will not stop us from intervening when the need arises”, he said.
The Governor said that he resolved to increase the support to the security agencies because of the successes recorded by Operation Sting.
The Governor placed a N30million Bounty on anyone who gives useful information that will lead to the arrest of those who killed a Director with the Rivers State Government during the Choba Crisis and a notorious criminal called Bobrisky in Gokana Local Government Area.
He regretted that cultists have taken over youth groups across the State, necessitating the State Government to proscribe all Youth Groups. “Anybody operating under a youth body henceforth will be arrested by security agencies. Before you contest for any youth body’s leadership, you must send the names to the DSS and Police for screening.
If they are cultists, we will not allow them to operate”, he said. Governor Wike said that the vehicles and gunboats donated to the security agencies must be deployed to secure Rivers State.
He announced that the Rivers State Government will establish a Trust Fund to cater for the families of policemen who lose their lives while fighting crime. In his remarks, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura said the security agencies will use the new security vans to tackle criminals across the state.
He said that since the inauguration of Operation Sting, there has been an improvement in the security of lives and property in the state. He said that security agencies will continue to dislodge criminals in all parts of the state.