Police deny rejecting Amotekun arrested suspects in Oyo

Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, has described the news making the rounds that the Command rejected suspects delivered to it by Amotekun operatives as false.

The Command’s spokesman, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi, quoted the commissioner in a statement issued in Ibadan on Tuesday as saying that the news was an attempt to portray the police as uncooperative.

The statement said, “The attention of the Police Command has been drawn to the news making the rounds about the refused admittance of robbery suspects brought into Mokola and Iyaganku Divisional detention facilities by Amotekun operatives.

“The message was to create to the public imagery that the police was uncooperative towards jointly combating crime with Amotekun.

“As a disciple in the school of community policing, I have made it clear on many occasions that both organisations are striving towards the same goal of combating crime with adequate development of human and material resources.

“However, a fusion at its early stage could be fractious due to differences in policies and Modus Operandi, which when carefully evaluated is the cause of the wrong information.

“The Nigeria Police Force as an organisation is jurisdiction sensitive and structured in such a way that offences committed in a particular Area of Responsibility (AOR) cannot be treated in another.

“This is done for efficiency and accountability’s sake. The original site of the robbery as gathered by the officers on duty as at the time of the case transfer is Iwo road area under the responsibility of Agodi Division.

“Investigation also revealed that no case of armed robbery has been reported in the Division or its environ as at or prior to that time; this is a course to look into, and to do so, the enforcement of jurisdictional policing must be observed.

“The Amotekun operatives had earlier visited Mokola Division where they were advised by the receiving officers that the Division with the AOR to best handle the case is Iyaganku Division.

“Upon getting to Iyaganku Division, the officers there, after critically analysing the story and taking its origin into consideration, did not reject the suspects, but directed that the suspects be taken to Agodi Division, a directive that was disregarded which led to the misconception making the rounds.’’

The CP informed the general public that the command was more than ever committed to partnering with sister agencies and local security outfits towards bringing the level of crime to the barest minimum.

Enwonwu urged leaders and men of various security operatives within the state to desist from high handedness and treatment of suspects with antipathy, inflicting serious bodily damages that oftentimes results in death.

The CP said that some suspects arrested and brought to the station by other security operatives were usually brought in in terrible health conditions and not admissible for detention.

He said that this leaves the Police in no other condition but to demand for the treatment of such suspects and after which the suspect could be returned for necessary actions.

Enwonwu said henceforth suspects in bad health condition or cases without complainants or witnesses would not be attended to.

He urged members of local security outfits who had been assisting the Police and discharging their duties with respect for the fundamental rights of citizens to keep up the good work.

Enwonwu urged those at the erring end of the scale to eschew self-help in the demand for justice and to quit chasing clout.