By KEVIN OKUNZUWA
BENIN- Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has pledged to sustain partnership with security agencies in the state to ensure improved security of lives and property of citizens of the state.
The governor, while reviewing the state’s security situation on Monday for the month of May, said the ban on motorcycles in the Benin metropolis was still in force.
The review came after a joint security meeting with representatives of various security agencies in the state.
Obaseki said, “The ban on motorcycles in the main city is still in force. We only allowed tricycles in and around semi-urban areas.
“Motorcycles can still be used in rural areas where the road network is not as good as that of the city and that is the position in the state today.
“The bulk of the accidents that we are seeing is not from the city. We are witnessing them on the federal roads, particularly the Ovia axis and around Agbede and Ewu area.
“Those are the main areas where we experience accidents because those roads are not quite motorable.
“I am glad to inform you that the security situation in Edo State continues to be stable. This month we saw a slight increase in the number of security incidents reported from about 118 in April to about 125 in May.
“But this increase is not attributable to very serious crimes. We did this analysis for the month of May and saw a significant increase in vehicular accidents.
“These accidents are mainly attributed to bad federal roads, particularly in the Ovia axis of the state, and in the Agbede axis where we recorded a number of losses of lives.
“We also noticed that there was a slight increase in reported drug cases. Kidnapping cases were stable for the month.
“We also witnessed a slight increase in armed robbery, which was not totally unconnected with political activities during the period.
“The security situation in the state is fair. The cooperation level amongst the security agencies in the state continues to be very good and that is why we’ve been able to control the situation within the state,” he added.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abutu Yaro, said “Edo is now very, very safe under the watch of the governor of the state.
“It’s ready for business and ready for leisure, and at all times, the synergy of the security architecture of the state is second to none. You are all reassured that the best is yet to come,” he said.(NAN)
