Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said communities with prevalence of insecurity, cultism and kidnapping will no longer enjoy the government’s patronage.
Wike, who addressed a special security meeting at the Government House yesterday, said the government will dethrone traditional rulers in communities where cultism and kidnapping are encouraged.
Wike said: “Those councils where there are no serious cases of cultism and kidnapping will enjoy more government projects and attention. But councils where cultism and kidnapping have become entrenched will lose out.
“The monarch of such communities will be deposed. We will not allow crisis in our communities. If you don’t want to take the war to them, we will take the war to you.”
The governor added that all youth groups found to be involved in cultism will be dissolved by the government.
He noted that under the current dispensation, the government and people will take their fate in their hands by collectively addressing the security challenges. He urged stakeholders to work with security agencies to fight insecurity.
“Enough is enough. Nobody arrested by security agencies for cultism will see the light of the day. If you say we will not sleep, you also will not sleep. Every logistic has been provided for security agencies to tackle the insecurity,” the governor added.
He also warned that any top government official caught trying to influence the release of arrested suspected cultists and kidnappers will face the full weight of the law.
The governor also directed council chairmen to work with their traditional rulers, Community Development Committees and youth leaders to advance the course of peace.
Commissioner of Police Usman Belel promised that security agencies will fight to reduce crime to the barest minimum
He said the police will use the community policing strategy to involve community stakeholders in the peace process. Belel called on the people to support the police with information to tackle cultism, kidnapping and fake news.
Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Amayanabo of Opobo, King Douglas Dandeson Jaja urged security agencies to take monarchs into confidence as they perform their responsibilities.
He, however, berated the security agencies for divulging information shared by traditional rulers.
The meeting was attended by the Commissioner of Police Usman Belel; Director, Department of State Services (SSS) Tosin Ajayi; Commander SOG 115, Nigeria Air Force, Air Commander E.O. E Ebiowei, Commander, NNS Pathfinder Commodore SJ Bura and Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) ML Haruna.
It was also attended by local government chairmen, traditional rulers, chairmen of community development committees and youth leaders.
