The Kwara State Police Command has advised the leadership of religious bodies in the state to beef up security arrangements in various worship centres in the state.
This advise follows the recent attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State by gunmen on Sunday, 5th 2022.
This was contained in a statement signed by the command’s spokesman, Ajayi Okasanmi, on Monday in Kwara.
The state Commissioner of Police, Tuesday Assayomo, urged religious leaders to put in place Closed Circuit Television cameras in places of worship and employ private or local guards to complement those provided by the police.
The police command said it held a security meeting to review its strategy last Friday.
“The command was not unaware of some security breaches in some states leading to the death of many citizens, the banning of Okada operations in some states, especially Lagos State which has sent jitters in the spines of some inhabitants in Kwara State, owing to the proximity of Kwara State to Lagos State; nursing the fears that the banned Okada operators may head for Kwara State with all its attendants’ risks.
“The CP advises the leadership of religious bodies on the appropriateness of putting some security arrangements in their places of worship, including CCTV cameras, employment of private or local guards to complement those provided by the Police.”
According to the statement, the police also stressed the need to conduct census among motorcycle and tricycle riders in the state.
“The commissioner called on the leadership of motorcycle and tricycles unions in the state to embark on adequate profiling of both existing and new members for easy identification and monitoring, in order to check the influx of the banned Okada riders from other states, especially Lagos,” the statement read in part.
Assayomo directed Divisional Police Officers and Heads of various police formations in the state to intensify patrols, intelligence gathering and apply effective mobilisation of vigilante groups, hunters and other local security apparatuses in their areas of operations.