The Kwara State Police Command has recorded significant breakthroughs in the fight against kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across the state, the Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, psc, mnips., has disclosed.
CP Ojo stated this on Thursday while welcoming the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 8 Headquarters, Lokoja, AIG Betty Isokpan Otimenyin, psc, mnips., on her Operational Inspection Tour of the Kwara Command.
He said the command achieved the successes through intelligence-led operations, coordinated tactical deployments and sustained visibility patrols along major highways, vulnerable communities and identified flashpoints.
According to him, the approach has led to the arrest of several suspects linked to various criminal activities, with arms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during operations.
“Despite prevailing security challenges, the command has continued to record notable successes in the prevention and detection of crime,” CP Ojo said.
“Significant progress has been made in combating kidnapping, armed robbery, cult-related activities and other violent crimes.”
The Commissioner said the operational posture of the command remains aligned with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, with emphasis on professionalism, intelligence-driven policing and operational effectiveness.
He attributed the achievements to improved intelligence gathering, strategic deployment, effective supervision and the dedication of officers and men who continue to work under difficult conditions.
CP Ojo also commended the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, for his continued logistics support and interventions which have enhanced the command’s operational capacity.
On operational gaps, the CP listed manpower shortage as a major challenge, noting that the geographical spread of the state and the need to maintain presence across Area Commands, Divisions, highways and border communities puts enormous pressure on available personnel.
He said the command also needs additional operational vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), communication equipment, surveillance capabilities and protective gadgets to strengthen response time and personnel safety.
CP Ojo, however, assured that despite limitations, officers remain resilient and are making judicious use of available resources.
He stressed that operational success must go with discipline, warning that misconduct, extortion, incivility, unnecessary checking of citizens’ phones and abuse of authority will not be tolerated.
He said the AIG’s inspection tour was timely and would further strengthen the command’s preparedness and professionalism.
“We assure the Zone and the Force Headquarters of our continued commitment to improving on our achievements and discharging our constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property,” CP Ojo added.