November 29, (THEWILL) – Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on Monday directed the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, to immediately redeploy the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Lafenwa Police Station for aiding crime in the area.
He equally ordered the arrest of all miscreants involved in setting fire to the petrol-laden tanker that led to the explosion on Sunday that killed two people.
A tanker laden with petrol on Sunday exploded along Oju-Irin Lafenwa, killing a grand mother and her grand child and also destroying properties worth millions.
Abiodun, during an on-the-spot assessment at the scene, ordered CP Lanre to immediately redeploy the DPO following allegations of incompetence levelled against him at Lafenwa Market.
He said there were lot of reports against the DPO, stating that he is neither effective nor efficient in carrying out his statutory duties of maintaining law and order in the area.
The governor also directed the DPO to be investigated for his treatment of criminals, especially miscreants that terrorize traders at the market and its environs, with kid gloves.
He said, “There are complaints against the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) here, I want that DPO investigated. I also want him removed from this place, because this is not the first time that complaints have been lodged against him.
“We’ve gotten several complaints against him about how he mismanage this place, particularly as it pertains to miscreants that come and disturb the traders.”
“He arrests them, within five to ten minutes, he releases them and that is why this place has continued to be restive. The thuggery in this place has not been contained”.
“I want the CP to declare an emergency here in Lafenwa, I want every miscreant arrested because this kind of situation is totally unacceptable.”
“A tanker overturns, fuel that is highly inflammable is flowing through the drainage and someone wilfully ignites it so that they could cause chaos and begin to loot the market. This is very bad. It is just not acceptable. It is criminal.”
Abiodun, who wondered why people anyone would set fire to a petrol tanker. He called for full investigation into the cause of the tanker explosion, asking the CP to “ensure that everybody involved in this heinous crime is arrested and brought to book to make an example of them.”
The governor described the loss of lives as unfortunate, lamenting that both federal and state fire trucks were damaged by the hoodlums who also prevented fire trucks and men of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) from sealing off the area and protecting the tanker from going up in flames.
He gave the commissioner of transportation, Gbenga Dairo, and the Commander of TRACE, Prince Seni Ogunyemi, three days to carry out an investigation immediately in order to know the actual cause of the accident.
Abiodun commiserated with the traders who lost valuables in the tanker explosion, as he directed the commissioner for special duties, Femi Ogunbanwo, to take inventory of all goods lost, promising to provide a palliative for victims.
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