Joy Anyim
Any organisation or individual who may want to support vulnerable persons in Ogun State with food items and other benefits during the lockdown, must now involved the police.
This was the new directive by the Ogun State Police Command, following some reports that hoodlums had hijacked the process of distributing palliatives in the state.
According to the spokesperson for the command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, well-meaning individuals who wish to donate items must inform the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in their areas of interest, who, in turn, will provide security cover during such distributions.
In a statement signed by Oyeyemi, on Wednesday, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kenneth Ebrimson, ordered all the DPOs to act accordingly.
The statement reads, “ In view of the lockdown order given by the Federal Government of Nigeria to checkmate the spread of the deadly Coronavirus also known as COVID-19, it has been observed that various organisations, religious bodies, NGO, corporate organisations as well as public spirited-individuals have been providing food items to the vulnerable members of the public in order to ameliorate their suffering while the lockdown last.
“The Ogun State police command, in order to prevent the good gestures of these philanthropic people from been hijacked by hoodlums has to appealled to those with such good intentions to liaise with the DPOs of their respective areas whenever they want to go about distributing such materials so as to afford the police the opportunity of providing security cover for them during the process of distribution.
“This becomes imperative in order to prevent the distribution of such palliative materials from degenerating to free for all and break down of law and order.
“It will also prevent hoodlums from hijacking the process which may defeat the primary aim of the donors.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Kenneth Ebrimson, has directed all DPOs to always provide adequate security at the venue of such distribution,” Oyeyemi said.
