The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi, has dispatched a team of policemen to the vandalised 2nd Niger Bridge.
He disclosed this while playing host to the executive members of the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, led by its chairman, Ifeanyi Olannye on a courtesy visit.
He stated: “When the news came to us, I quickly dispatched my area commander to go and look at it and ensure that the place was secured.
“We called the engineer here in Delta, the man said he was not in his area and that he was in Anambra. I asked them (the police team led by the area commander) to remain there. They have called the engineer in Anambra.
“Those things (vandalised rail fittings) are so heavy and you would be asking how they remove them.”
On the ban on Okada and scrap iron scavenging, Abaniwonda avowed that there has been a reduction in crime across the state, pointing out that he played a major role in getting the government to place the ban following the upsurge in crime traceable to them okada riders scrap collectors.
“This brings me to what I said earlier. The thieves are on drugs. The level of abuse of drugs among our youths is extremely high. I spent time in the North; that is why these scavengers in the local parlance known as ‘Iron Condemn’ are also a source of criminality. I am not outrightly accusing them but if you look at it they too take drugs. You can’t believe it if you put this house, if possible in their sack, they can carry it.
“A lot of these ‘Okada’ people don’t even have registration numbers even when they commit a traffic offence there is no way you can trace them, ” he stated.