Delta State Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, has solicited greater collaboration from the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, to address crime in the state.

Mr Adesola made the appeal on Saturday when he led a delegation of the command’s management on a courtesy visit to the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom in Effurun.

The commissioner, who had earlier visited the temporary office of the newly created Effurun Area Command, also urged political actors and community leaders not to interfere in criminal investigations and prosecution.

“It is only in Nigeria, you see families of suspected criminals, kidnappers, and cultists moving from one police station to another, attempting to influence police officers or through blackmail on social media in order to bend the laws.

“In Uvwie Kingdom, there has been no interference in police investigation and prosecution of criminals.

“This might be partly responsible for the declining criminal incidents in the local government area,” he said.

The commissioner expressed gratitude to the Ovie of Uvwie for sustaining peace in the kingdom.

He also commended the traditional ruler for constituting a palace security committee saddled with the responsibility of checking the activities of criminal elements.

Mr Adesola advised that criminal incidents or information should be passed discreetly directly to the area commander or the divisional police officer (DPO) for prompt action.

The CP stressed the importance of parental guidance and proper upbringing of children and wards.

“Community leaders should screen okada riders thoroughly because some of them work with criminal elements in the communities,” he said.

Responding, the traditional ruler blamed the rising crime in the communities on the youth’s lack of respect for traditional institutions.

The traditional ruler also decried situations in which suspects were arrested and later released without proper interrogation or prosecution.

“The suspects sometimes end up threatening those who reported them to the security agencies. There are also situations where traditional rulers fighting crimes in their communities are invited by the police.

“In some cases, activities of some human rights groups make it difficult to fight crimes,” he said.

The monarch called for synergy between traditional institutions and security agencies to effectively combat crime.

(NAN)