The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has reassured residents of over 22 communities in Inikorogha, Ovia South West Local Government Area (LGA) of adequate security to engender peace and progress.
The governor gave the reassurance while addressing members of the communities, at the Government House, Benin City, when they staged a peaceful protest over plans to withdraw the security agencies maintaining peace in the area.
“I have been informed about your peculiar case. When I heard that the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja has instructed that the security be withdrawn from your communities, I mandated that a letter should be written to the Inspector General of Police.
“First, I am the Chief Security Officer of this State. Constitutionally, I have the responsibility to secure you and I will therefore communicate with the Inspector General. They cannot remove security men from your community without first letting me know. I heard that it is the resolution of the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives do not govern Edo State.
“If anybody representing us in the House of Representatives goes to misrepresent us, that must be corrected. I will make sure it is done. In the meantime, keep your peace and I will make sure security men return to your communities so that you can keep away those bandits.
“We know what they are trying to achieve. They are not happy that we have stopped the illegal logging in your community which they are making money from. So they have gone to Abuja to try to bribe them to withdraw security so that they can come into your communities and continue to cause deforestation. As long as I am your governor, I will not allow it. Please just be peaceful and wait for further communication from me.
The Chairman of the Elders Council of the communities, Philip Polo, thanked the governor for the improved security in Inikorogha community, noting that the essence of the peaceful protest is to inform the governor of the planned withdrawal of special forces from their community by some elements that are not happy with the peace in Inikorogha.
He said, “Our main protest is about security and safety in our community and the riverine area as a whole. For the past seventeen years, Inikorogha has been under siege by criminals and kidnappers. They killed as if they created human beings. Everybody was scared, people ran away from their homes. We had sleepless nights.”
