As part of the efforts to find a lasting solution to reported cases of militancy and sea piracy in the South-South region of Nigeria, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 6 Command, Tunde Ogunsakin is set to partner with governments and other security agencies in the zone.
The Police boss met with three Deputy Governors alongside Security Chiefs within his jurisdiction at the weekend to fine-tune the fight against the major crimes in the zone.
The security meeting which was at the instance of AIG Ogunsakin, attracted Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Frank, Cross River, Prof Ivara Esu and a representative of Rivers Deputy Governor, Mrs. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo.
Also in attendance were the three commissioners of Police in the aforementioned states, representatives of Department of State Security (DSS), Nigerian Navy as well as the Nigerian Air Force.
This comes few weeks after the Police foiled an attack by yet to be identified gunmen on its Marine post in Calabar.
In a press release thereafter, Ogunsakin, who used the forum to demand logistics support from the Police High Command, said the meeting was aimed at forming a Zonal Task Force to combat Militant attacks on persons and government facilities along the waterways.
“There is the need for the establishment of the Zonal Joint Task Force as a crack squad to effectively combat the menace of maritime piracy and other violent crimes abetted with the use of waterways’’.
He said that the security forces will work out the modalities of a joint operation room to coordinate the activities of the Zonal Joint Task Force.
“That the Police Force High Command provides Armoured Personnel Carriers in states where they are not available, especially Cross River, at its borders, Cameroun”, the statement endorsed by the Zonal PPRO, ASP Rogers Elebe, read in part.
While emphasizing the importance of a joint security operation, Ogunsakin assured that the security forces would deploy technologically-driven and action able intelligence to actualize their common goal.
He expressed optimism that with the formation of a technical committee to fashion out the composition of the Zonal Task Force thereafter, the Inspector-General of Police resolve to ensure effective protection of lives and properties by the Zone 6 Command.
Membership of the technical committee includes; the Commissioners of Police in-charge of Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers States. Others are; Service Commanders of 2 and 13 Brigades of Nigerian Army, NNS Victory, Calabar, 207 Mobility Group of Nigerian Air Force, the State Directors of DSS and more.
