Christmas: Okorocha beefs up security in Imo, donates 100 vehicles to police

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has donated 100 Toyota Sienna vehicles to the State Police Command to beef-up security during the Christmas festivities.

Speaking during the handover ceremony in Owerri, Okorocha said Christmas attracts a lot of activities and that men of the underworld take advantage of the period to commit some havoc.

Against that backdrop, the Governor said he hoped the vehicles would be deployed towards crime-fighting across the state, adding that Area Commander and Divisional Police Officers would also get vehicles from his government.

He said: “The vehicles are equipped with sophisticated security gadgets. I have provided the vehicles for the Safety of lives and properties both in the urban and rural areas, during this yuletide and beyond. The State Government wants to ensure effective community policing.

“It is to ensure that everyone has a safe and peaceful Christmas and also for overall security that we have donated 100 of these special vehicles to the Nigeria Police Force. The vehicles are equipped with radio and all that is required to check crime.

“I am particularly happy with the Imo State Police Command. With this, the Police is fully mobilized and equipped to position themselves in different parts of the State to check crime. “Our challenge with the security situation in Imo State is the visibility of the Police and since we cannot have DPO offices in every village, these vehicles will serve as mobile divisional offices. I equally thank the Commissioner of Police for fishing out some criminals recently in the State and those people shall face the wrath of the law, I am equally making available 100,000 naira each for the 100 vehicles for fuel purposes.”

Receiving the vehicles, the Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Dasuki Galadanchi said: “These vehicles came as a result of a strategy that is adopted in Imo State, that is community policing. Part of that strategy entails high visibility policy.

“My team did what is called crime pattern analysis of the State. After a careful study, I met with His Excellency and identified the crime areas and spoke with him on the need for about 77 cars to tackle the flash points instead of him to argue, he even added more vehicles to make it 100 vehicles”.

The CP assured that the vehicles would be used judiciously for the safety and security of Imolites, stressing that all the 27 local government areas of the State are beneficiaries of the vehicles.