The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of zone 17, comprising Ondo and Ekiti states, Adebowale William, has expressed concern over the acute shortage of officers and men in the two states.

The AIG, who gave the lamentation in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, while addressing men and officers of Ekiti State Police Command as part of his familiarisation tour to the state, said that rather than get more police postings, the ones in the two states were being transferred to other states, saying that this should not be encouraged.

The AIG, therefore, urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to deploy men and officers to complement the efforts of those policing the two states to achieve the vision of a safe and secure environment.

Adebowale, who noted that with just 3,400 officers and men, Ekiti State has the lowest crime rate, urged men and officers of the Command to eschew corruption and always be dedicated to their duty posts.

He also stressed the need for the police officers to always respond to distress calls from members of the public and build more relationships with the communities.

Earlier in his speech, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Dare Ogundare, described Ekiti State as the most peaceful state in the South-West region of the country.

He pledged the continuous readiness of the police serving in the state to safeguard the lives and property of residents and make the state a good place to live.

The commissioner, who also lamented incessant transfer and shortage of police officers serving in the state, solicited for the deployment of more personnel to the command.

RELATEDLY, Oyo State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Michael Akintayo Adaralewa, yesterday, gave a marching order all divisional officers in the state to deploy their personnel to strategic locations as well as ensure a visible and effective security presence throughout the state.

In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Olubanjo Opebiyi, Adaralewa said over 2,500 personnel would be deployed to markets, parks, highways and other public places to ensure effective visibility and patrol. The NSCDC boss, however, urged residents and visitors to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities to the nearest security personnel.