In a renewed effort to combat crime and enhance public safety in Delta State, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, has directed all patrol and guard officers, vigilante groups, forest guards and other recognised civil security outfits in the state to intensify intelligence gathering and sustain security patrols across forests, rural communities and critical access routes.

The directive was issued on Wednesday during a strategic security meeting held at the Delta State Police Command headquarters, Asaba, attended by patrol and guard officers from all police divisions across the state.

The State Police Command directive comes amid sustained efforts by security agencies to curb kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes in the state through enhanced community policing and intelligence-driven operations.

Addressing participants at the meeting, CP Oyeniyi emphasised the need for heightened surveillance of roads, waterways, railway corridors and bush paths, noting that criminal elements often exploit such locations to perpetrate kidnapping, armed robbery and other forms of criminality.

The Police Commissioner commended vigilante groups and other community-based security outfits for their contributions to maintaining peace and security across Delta State.

However, he stressed that their operations must be conducted strictly within the confines of the law and in close coordination with the Nigeria Police Force.

According to him, all activities of local security outfits should be streamlined under the supervision of the respective Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to ensure accountability and effective implementation of community policing strategies.

CP Oyeniyi noted that sustainable security can only be achieved through strong collaboration between the police and community security stakeholders, backed by continuous intelligence sharing and coordinated patrol operations.

He also issued a stern warning against acts of unlawful detention, torture, dehumanising treatment of suspects and the use of vigilante groups to settle personal grievances or political scores.

The Commissioner directed that all persons apprehended by local security outfits must be immediately handed over to the nearest police station for proper investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law.

Furthermore, he charged leaders of vigilante and forest guard groups to instil discipline among their members, identify and remove criminal elements within their ranks, and desist from shielding individuals involved in illegal activities.

Reaffirming the command’s commitment to strengthening grassroots security architecture, CP Oyeniyi assured stakeholders that the police would continue to collaborate with genuine security partners within the framework of the law.

He added that similar strategic engagements would be replicated across the various local government areas of Delta State to improve coordination, intelligence gathering and collective efforts aimed at tackling insecurity and safeguarding lives and property.