New Taraba CP resumes, visits Mambilla Plateau

From: Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

Taraba State Commissioner of Police CP Dave Akinremi, on Thursday, visited the Mambilla Plateau on resumption of duty to inspect the security situation and assure the residents of arrangement to forestall a further breakdown of law and order in the area.

Akinremi, who expressed satisfaction with the current security arrangement in the area, said that his visits to the Mambilla Plateau barely 24 hours after taking over the command in the state, was to underscore the concern of the Federal Government for the well-being of the people of the area.

During a meeting at the palace of the Chief of Mambilla, Dr. Shehu Baju, where he also met with other chiefs in the area, Akinremi said he had come with a “message of peace” and urged the traditional rulers to use the institutions at their disposals to preach peace and harmonious stay rather than violence and wanton destruction of lives and property.

He noted that fighting benefits no one as “in the end there would be no victor and no vanquish, only victims”.

He, however, warned that the police combat ready all the time and would not hesitate to unleash the full wrath of the law on anyone who insisted on causing trouble to any part of the state.

“I have made this trip my first point of duty as Commissioner of police in the state to show the level of commitment the federal government has for peace, security and wellbeing of the people of this area. I come with peace because I believe in peaceful resolution of crisis. Dialogue is the ultimate thing and we must learn to talk things over rather than destroy ourselves..

“But let me warn that we are not making this appeal from the point of weakness. If anyone chooses to ferment trouble, they should be ready to face the full wrath of the law as we are combat ready at all time to ensure safety of lives and property”, he said.

In his response, Baju commended the police boss for the show of concern for the people and assured him that normalcy had returned to the warring areas.

Baju regretted that some persons have seized the crisis for their political reasons ignoring the fancy lives, and have blown the crisis out of proportion.

“We are saddened by what happened here and that you are coming on this occasion. Let me make bold to say that things were blown out of proportion by politicians for some reasons they alone know.

“There was no genocide here. It was a conflict and the underlying factor is the crave for ownership of the mineral resources that we are endowed with”, Baju said.

Other persons who spoke called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to serve to otherwise there never be peace in the state.

Daily Sun recalled that Akinrenmi took over as the Taraba State Commissioner of police, on Tuesday, from Yunana Babas and has sworn to take policing in the state to an all new height.