Ekiti: NUJ Chair To Police Commissioner – We Are Ready To Work With You

… Assures Him Of Journalists’ Support 

… Calls For Action Against Kidnapping, Atikankan’s Notoriety, Other Black Spots

By Emmanuel Adeoye 

The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalist, NUJ, Ekiti State Council, Comrade Rotimi Ojomoyela, has told the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr Dare Ogundare of the readiness of Journalists in Ekiti State to work very closely with him to begin action against kidnapping and the notorious ‘Atikankan’ area and other black spots across the State. 

Giving the above assurance, the Comrade Rotimi Ojomoyela NUJ led leadership during the visit of the Commissioner of Policemen, Mr. Dare Ogundare to the Union’s Secretariat on Thursday, the Chairman called for more effective relationship between the Police and Journalists in Ekiti State. 

In his own remarks, Comrade Ojomoyela pointed to the new CP of the need for his Command to address the spate of kidnapping, herders crisis, the notorious ‘Atikankan’ area of the state capital, as well as the emerging excesses of the “Agberos” on the road across the State.

Ojomoyela also used the opportunity to emphasized to the CP the need for more of community policing.

According to him, he said, “he looked forward for a more cordial working relationship with the Police CP and the Ekiti Police Command. I just want to let you know that the saying, ‘that police is our friend’ should be real. As Journalists, we have also been your friends too. We are your friend, and to let you know that, we have had instances of working together in the past. We have this synergy that have been enacted even before your arrival”, he revealed. 

Continuing, “Ojomoyela stated that Ekiti has been very peaceful unlike when it used to be very volatile most especially during election periods. He noted that things are settling down gradually now and the policemen have been doing exceptionally well in combating crime across the state. But, what we noticed is the growing trend of kidnapping. Just this morning, we were told that somebody was kidnapped somewhere in Ikere from his rice farm”.

He however advised the new Ekiti Police Commissioner to beam his security light more on areas like Oke Ako, Ipao, Irele and Kwara border so as to end kidnapping in Ekiti State. 

Ojomoyela further pleaded with the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dare Ogundare to address the drug issues at the notorious Atikankan area of the State Capital as well as the menace of the ‘Agberos’ who are found of behaving as if they owned Ekiti State. He appealed to the Ekiti Police boss to ensure their excesses are curtailed before they become more uncontrollable. 

“He described instances where the ‘Agberos’ are seen at the centre of the road unchecked and without any reference for traffic as very barbaric”. 

Also, the NUJ chairman, in his commendation message, applauded the new CP for being the first CP in Ekiti to visit the NUJ, while equally, recognizing the effort of officers under the commissioner’s Command, most especially, the Rapid Response Squad, RRS Commander in the State, in person of Mr. Marcus Ogundola whose action has been described as exceptional.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr Dare Ogundare while speaking assured the public of the readiness of his Command to stamped out crime from the State. He used the opportunity to announce the arrest of a notorious criminal and kidnapper in the State known as ‘Danger’ whom he said has been arrested in Kogi State. 

CP Ogundare expressed the readiness of his Command to act on the concerns raised by the leaders of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Ekiti State. 

He also used the opportunity of his visit to the State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Ekiti State to revealed that plans are already in place to tackle the criminal activities happening at the Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State. 

Ogundare appreciated and commended the support of Journalists in Ekiti State whose reportage of news in the past about the Command has been positive.

He used the opportunity of the visit to seek for further cooperation and support from Ekiti Journalists towards accurately and promptly reporting the activities and achievements of the Ekiti State Police Command under his own watch as the newly posted Commissioner of Police in the State. 

Other top Officers of the Ekiti State Police Command present during the visit to the NUJ Secretariat in Ekiti State included the Deputy Commissioner of Police, ACP Nyatse; Spokesperson of the Command, DSP Sunday Abutu; Deputy Spokesperson, Happiness Okunola as well as DPO’s from some Divisions. 

The members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ekiti State Council who were in attendance during the visit of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dare Ogundare are Journalists from the Correspondent Chapel, Online Media Chapel, Federal Information Chapel, On Air Chapel and Information Chapel.