Concerns over poor condition of police vehicles in Osun

Residents are worried about the poor condition of police vehicles in Osun State as the situation tends to hinder effective policing of the state.

Policemen at the divisional level in the state often use their personal cars to carry out official duties or hire commercial vehicles and sometimes resort to using complainants’ or suspects’ vehicles.

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In Osun, there are eight area commands, 48 divisions and many tactical teams, departments and offices of the police command. They all require good vehicles to operate effectively.

Our correspondent reports that policemen in the state hire commercial vehicles for patrol, which has limited their chances of effective operations in tackling insecurity in the state.

City & Crime observed that most of the vehicles donated to the police by the last administration in the state are no longer in good condition.

A member of the House of Representatives, Busayo Oluwole-Oke, recently donated vehicles to the police in Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency.

Comrade Waheed Lawal, Chairman of the Civil Society Coalition in the state, called on the federal and state governments to provide good vehicles for policemen to enable them perform their duties effectively.

Also, Mr Akeem Lambo said the manner policemen operated with private or hired vehicles was unacceptable.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Wale Olokode, said the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, sent five brand new vehicles to the Osun command recently. He expressed gratitude to the State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, for assisting the command with logistics.

However, according to CP Olokode, the command needs more vehicles.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mrs Abiodun Ige, assured that the state government would keep supporting security agencies in the state to function optimally.