The new Kogi state Commissioner of Police, Ede Ayuba Ekpeji has warned criminals operating in the state to relocate elsewhere or face the wrath of the law.
The new CP handed the warning on Tuesday in Lokoja shortly after the change of baton between him and the outgoing Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Bussari.
The new commissioner was deployed from the Force headquarters in a shake up few days to Christmas, to Kogi to replace Bussari who is proceeding on retirement after 35 years in service.
Speaking with newsmen at the State command headquarters, Mr Ekpeji said he has studied the crime statistics in the state which indicated influx of criminal elements to the state from elsewhere.
“From all indications the criminal elements are coming into the state from elsewhere to perpetrate their nefarious activities here. I want to use this medium to warn them to relocate back to where they are coming from or be forced out, ” he noted.
According to him, the command already has a robust crime unit on ground, adding “we will improve on what is on ground by making it more potent and aggressive towards achieving our aim of riding the state of crime.”
He said part of the measures to further secure the state is to accelerate the recovery of illegal firearms used by criminal elements in perpetrating crime in the state.
He commended the outgoing commissioner of police for putting in place robust crime fighting mechanism that had led to relative peace in the state, while promising to build on the achievements so far recorded by his predecessor.