State police commands of Benue and Enugu met on Wednesday to strengthen their collaborative ties against crimes on their borders.
This was disclosed in a statement jointly signed by SP Daniel Ndukwe and DSP Edet Udeme, police public relations officers of Enugu and Benue states, respectively.
According to the release, the joint interstate security meeting was led by the Commissioner of Police, Benue State, CP Emenari Ifeanyi, and his Enugu State counterpart, CP Bitrus Giwa, and held in Benue.
Quoting the release, “The commissioners identified the infiltration of criminal elements and their connivance with unscrupulous elements within border communities as major enablers of interstate crimes. Consequently, they resolved to enhance interstate crime-fighting synergies through improved intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, and joint deployment of resources to combat violent crimes across border communities.”
The release stated that the areas of focus for the renewed collaboration are Ado, Ogbadibo, and Okpokwu LGAs in Benue State, as well as Igbo-Eze North, Isi-Uzo, and Udenu LGAs in Enugu State.
It was gathered that the meeting was attended by senior operational officers from both commands and would henceforth be held routinely to sustain the joint efforts.
The statement recalled that the two state commands recently collaborated to arrest criminal suspects operating across both states, rescuing kidnapped victims and recovering stolen vehicles, laptops, mobile phones, and other robbed items in the process.
THE WHISTLER reports that cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and killings have increased in communities on the border of the two states, making security experts advocate collaborative efforts between the two states as a lasting solution to the scourge.
