The Delta State Police Command has identified four areas in the state as red zones due to the high rate of kidnapping in such areas.

Delta State Commissioner of Police (CP) Adeleke Adeyinka revealed on Thursday during a courtesy visit to him by the Yoruba Community in Delta State, saying they are within Aniocha/Oshimili Local Government Areas.

Led by Alhaji Marouf Lawal, leader of the group in Asaba, the CP urged them to caution their wards to shun illicit acts of violence such as cultism, stating that it would be sad that young ones are killing themselves over unworthy reasons.

While charging them to be in good cordial relationship with people in their various communities, he said: “Tell your wards to be of good conduct as I would not be happy to receive people from the Yoruba community in our custody,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Lawal said it is a thing of joy to have a Yoruba man as CP in Delta State, who is equally doing a lot to make sure residents sleep with their two eyes close in an environment devoid of crimes and insecurity.

He, however, lamented about the high rate of insecurity in some areas as a result of the herdsmen disturbances, urging the Police to take immediate actions to ensure safety of Deltans, stating that, a lot has to be done to ensure our farms can be safe from ravaging herdsmen and kidnappers because our people are scared to go to the farm.

Leader of the Group in Ughelli, Prince Olatunde Olasupo, prayed for grace to curtail insecurity in the state.

Similarly, Njiko Aniocha/Oshimili Group led by the Coordinator, Professor Epiphany Azinge also visited the CP on the herdsmen disturbances.

But the CP said the Police has discovered that kidnappers waylay victims where there are bad roads.

He mentioned that a lot of kidnap reports have been received from areas such as Okpanam, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku and outskirts of Asaba.

However, he said efforts had been intensified through patrols to curb the growing menace is such areas.

According to Adeleke, “People should be wary as most of these kidnappers are attracted to developing sites and farm settlements.

“It is one of the crime dynamics because crime is shifting from urban areas to rural areas”.

On ways to curtail the menace of herdsmen in affected areas of the State, the CP urged the local authority to partner with them, as this would avail them with credible information to improve security measures in such communities.

He urged victim whose farms were destroyed not to take laws into their hands, he promising that farmers whose crops are destroyed by herdsmen would be compensated.

“Some hunters know some of those doing these things but they fear for themselves if they are to give information to us. Also, people should go to their traditional authorities to report if they do not feel safe coming to the police,” he asserted. (Independent)

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