Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adebowale Lawal has warned residents and community leaders against harbouring criminals, saying anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law.
Lawal, who gave the warning yesterday while speaking with journalists in Akure, reiterated the commitment of the command to arrest and prosecute anyone caught harbouring criminals in the state.
Noting that 2025 was relatively peaceful in the state, the commissioner assured that 2026 would be better with the collaboration of sister security agencies.
“It behooves on people living in border communities to report any suspicious people or strange faces coming to their communities to avoid unforeseen circumstances.
“Be at alert and keep us posted, especially at the border communities, so that we will be able to profile those coming in.
“Yes, every citizen has freedom of movement in Nigeria, but then there is a limit to those rights.
“You have freedom of movement, but we need to know your mission for coming here, we need to know what you are bringing in.
“That is why all our border towns are well fortified and we are not doing it alone. We are doing it in conjunction with the military and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC,” he said.
Lawal said the command had received additional manpower with 36 cadet officers who passed out recently from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun’s mop up operational activities.
He said the additional Armoured Personnel Carriers received had been deployed to Ondo North Senatorial District to combat crime in the area.
The commissioner, however, promised to arrest the attackers of Ipele Community which happened on eve of the new year where a Divisional Police Station was burnt down.
Lawal, who said no arrest had been made since the incident happened, reiterated that the command is working technically and through intelligence gathering to arrest the perpetrators.
He explained that it was the quick response and combined teams of the police, military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, non-state actors, Amotekun Corps, local vigilante, hunters and Nigeria Forest Guards that saved the situation.
“It would have been worse but we thank God no life was lost in spite of their preparation toward the attack, because they came in seven motorcycles and used five dynamites.
“I want to assure that we are on their trail. Like I always say, nobody will come to Ondo State to commit crime and go scot-free. We will always get them arrested,” he said.
He, therefore, appreciated the IGP and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for their support for the command’s operational activities, adding that it had strength its relationship with stakeholders in crime fighting.
