By: Newsbreeze
His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON,The Asagba of Asaba has commended Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Erale, for his swift response to security concerns around the Koka Flyover, urging stronger police-community collaboration to tackle crime and maintain peace in the state capital.
Azinge gave the commendation when Erale paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Asaba, where he called for the revival of an inactive committee established to facilitate intelligence sharing between the police and the community.
The monarch said regular engagement among the police, traditional institutions and community security groups would improve crime prevention and strengthen public confidence, particularly amid discussions on the establishment of state police.
He clarified that the concerns around Koka Flyover were not primarily related to cultism but involved destitute persons living beneath the structure. He also raised concerns over reports that people were being transported in trailers from other parts of the country and abandoned at locations including Koka Junction, Cable Point and Mile 5.
Azinge urged the police to investigate the development and work with local vigilante groups and community leaders to prevent potential threats to public safety.
The monarch also expressed concern over the criminalisation of land disputes, alleging that some parties introduce accusations such as illegal possession of firearms and attempted murder into civil disagreements.
He urged the police to distinguish genuine criminal offences from civil disputes, ensure complaints were properly investigated and encourage the use of lawful dispute-resolution mechanisms. He also appealed for a review of cases involving the alleged arrest and transfer of Asaba indigenes to Abuja over land disputes, sometimes without the knowledge of the state police leadership.
On petitions from residents, Azinge advised the command to assess complaints on their merits and refer suitable matters to traditional institutions for amicable settlement.
He reaffirmed the Asaba community’s commitment to supporting the police in maintaining peace and order.
Earlier, Erale commended the monarch’s contributions to security and disclosed that the command had recorded progress in tackling cultism and drug-related offences. He said Koka Junction had been cleared of miscreants and destitute persons as part of efforts to restore order.
The commissioner expressed concern over the increasing number of land disputes and what he described as frivolous petitions, stressing that the police had no authority to determine land ownership, which was a matter for the courts.
He appealed to the Asagba to continue intervening where necessary to resolve land-related disagreements peacefully, noting that the growing number of such cases was diverting police attention from crime prevention and control.
Clarify the police committee’s status
Balance allegations with attribution
Tighten the land-dispute section