The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, has accused some political and community leaders of shielding kidnappers and other criminals by interfering in police investigations and prosecution processes.
Adesola warned that such interference weakens law enforcement efforts and emboldens criminals to continue terrorising communities across the state.
The police chief made the remarks during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Emmanuel Sideso Abe I, in Effurun as part of his familiarisation tour of police formations in the state.
He lamented that relatives of suspected criminals, politicians and other interest groups often attempt to manipulate investigations through pressure, influence and social media campaigns aimed at blackmailing police officers.
According to him, such actions undermine justice and make it more difficult for security agencies to effectively tackle crimes such as kidnapping, cultism and armed robbery.
“It is only in Nigeria you see families of criminals, kidnappers and cultists moving from one police station to another attempting to influence police officers through social media blackmail in order to bend the law,” Adesola said.
The commissioner, however, commended the leadership of the Uvwie Kingdom for allowing the police to operate without interference, noting that the absence of political pressure had contributed to a noticeable decline in criminal activities in the area.
He also praised the monarch for establishing a palace security committee to monitor criminal activities and support the police with intelligence.
Adesola urged residents to channel credible information about criminal activities directly to the area commander or divisional police officers, stressing that community collaboration was vital to improving security.
The police boss also raised concerns over the increasing cases of drug abuse, cultism and kidnapping in parts of the state, calling for stronger cooperation between security agencies, traditional institutions and community leaders.
He further advised parents to take greater responsibility for their children, warning that families must not shield or encourage criminal behaviour.
Adesola also cautioned community leaders to properly screen commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as okada riders, noting that some criminal gangs deploy them for surveillance and as escape routes during operations.
The commissioner additionally warned about the infiltration of criminal elements from neighbouring countries and the growing role of social media in promoting criminal tendencies among youths.
Responding, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Emmanuel Sideso Abe I, attributed the rising wave of crime partly to the declining respect for traditional institutions, which he said had weakened their ability to discipline errant youths.
The monarch also expressed concern that suspects arrested in communities sometimes return shortly after their release and threaten those who reported them to security agencies.
He further lamented that traditional rulers who attempt to discipline criminal elements are sometimes summoned by the police or challenged by human rights groups, thereby limiting their authority to enforce order.
Abe stressed that closer collaboration between security agencies and traditional institutions remained critical to effectively addressing security challenges.
During the visit to the temporary office of the newly created Effurun Area Command, the Area Commander, Aliyu Shaba, described Effurun as a strategic commercial hub with complex security challenges requiring proactive policing.
Shaba appealed for the repair of the command’s Armoured Personnel Carrier, which he said had been out of service for a long time despite being crucial for high-risk operations.
He also requested the deployment of additional inspectors and rank-and-file officers to strengthen operational capacity and improve response to distress calls within the area.
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