The Ondo State Police Command has intensified security operations and deployed additional personnel to reinforce safety in vulnerable communities, particularly Ilu-Abo in Akure North Local Government Area.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Adebowale Lawal, disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing protesting residents in Ilu-Abo.
During the visit, the police chief assessed the security situation firsthand and engaged community leaders and other stakeholders over growing concerns about safety in the area.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, the commissioner acknowledged the frustrations expressed by residents and assured them that the command was actively working to address the prevailing security challenges.
Lawal urged the protesters to remain calm and law-abiding, noting that the police and other security agencies were intensifying efforts to restore peace and guarantee the safety of residents.
According to the statement, the police command has ordered the immediate deployment of a tactical team and the establishment of a Tactical Team Base in Ilu-Abo as part of proactive measures to strengthen security presence.
The move follows recent security concerns affecting communities along the Ilu-Abo, Ayede and Ogbese axis, where incidents of kidnapping and violent crimes have raised fears among residents.
Abayomi explained that the newly deployed team comprises specially trained operatives drawn from elite units of the command, including anti-kidnapping personnel and other tactical formations.
The operatives are expected to conduct round-the-clock patrols, surveillance activities, intelligence gathering and coordinated security operations across Ilu-Abo, Ayede, Ogbese and neighbouring communities.
The police spokesman added that the command had also intensified joint security operations, including stop-and-search exercises, forest combing missions and intelligence-driven raids targeting criminal hideouts and suspected kidnapping networks operating within forested and boundary communities.
“These measures are designed to dismantle criminal syndicates and prevent criminals from using the terrain as safe havens,” the statement said.
In addition, the commissioner has directed all Divisional Police Officers within the affected axis and neighbouring divisions to work closely with the newly deployed tactical team, local vigilantes, hunters and other community-based security groups to improve intelligence sharing and enhance response to security threats.
The command also appealed to residents of the affected communities to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and actionable information that could assist ongoing operations.
Reaffirming the police commitment to public safety, the command stressed that kidnapping and other violent crimes would not be tolerated in any part of Ondo State and that decisive action would continue to be taken to bring perpetrators to justice.
Residents were further advised to promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency lines.
