New Commissioner of Police for Kwara State, Mr Paul Odama, has said political parties in the state would be made to sign a peace accord to ensure peaceful campaigns and elections in the state.
He disclosed this at his media meeting with newsmen in Ilorin on Thursday, at the state police command’s headquarters.
Odama said political parties that breach the peace accord will be sanctioned according to the law.
The commissioner revealed that with the commencement of political campaigns, the command in conjunction with other sister services has concluded plans to put in place adequate security for all political parties to make their campaigns free of any intimidation across the length and breadth of the state.
He said his policing mandate also includes the provision of a level playing field for all political tendencies in the state irrespective of political affiliations, region or tribe.
“As you may all know, the police are apolitical, the people of the state as a whole are our constituency, hence we promise to discharge our duties with a clear conscience and the fear of God,” he declared.
Odama advised would-be lawbreakers and criminal elements in the state to change their ways and be law-abiding or pack their bags and relocate to any state they feel safe to carry on with their lawless activities.
“I want to reiterate that I am in Kwara to work to sustain and even better the already established peace and security already in existence in the state.
“To fight crimes and criminality, enforce all laws within the provisions of the Nigerian constitution and rule of law, to democratically police the state and respect the fundamental rights of the citizens and residents alike in line with global best practices.”
He warned that any policeman caught in the illegal act of random search of citizens’ phones will be dealt with accordingly.
Odama, solicited the cooperation of all and sundry, including youths in the state to always make use of the command’s emergency phone lines already in public space to report incidences that require police actions within their areas as fast as possible to enable it provide robust service delivery to the people.
