Obiano vows to combat crime in South-East

Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra says his administration will support every effort toward making the South-East free from violent crimes and criminality.

Obiano made the pledge in Awka on Thursday while receiving the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Research and Planning, (DIG) Mr Val Mtomchukwu, in his office.

The Police DIG was in the state as part of his ongoing tour of Police commands in the five states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo in the South-East.

Obiano said that the visit would enable the state government to discuss how to improve the efficiency of officers and men of the Police Command in the state.

He said the synergy between the police and other security agencies had been instrumental to safety of people of the state.

The governor said that through their efforts, the state was now the safest in the country.

Obiano said that on assumption of office, his administration convened a regional Security Summit to initiate a collaborative approach among the South-East states in the fight against crime.

He assured the DIG that his government would not hesitate to avail the police of every necessary support it required to ensure effective security in the state.

DIG Mtomchukwu said that the visit was in line with the efforts of the Force headquarters aimed at reviewing the operational strategies of all its state commands.

He said that he was in the state on the order of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to familiarize himself with the police command in the state as well as seek the continued support of the state government.

He commended the governor for his `unparalleled’ support to the force which had reduced crime rate in the state.

Mtochukwu expressed satisfaction with the synergy between the police and other security agencies in the state.

He appealed to the governor to sustain his partnership with the police, promising that they would ensure that the successes recorded in the state were replicated in other states of the South-East.

The DIG was accompanied on the visit by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of zone nine, Mr Hosea Karma, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Sam Okaula, and other top officers of the force.