The Kwara State Commissioner of Police CP Kayode Egbetokun has called on parents, guardians to keep their wards off the streets and warn them not to follow hoodlums who are presently treading a dangerous path in the state
CP Kayode Egbetokun who is spokesperson of joint security agencies made the call on behalf of the agencies while briefing with newsmen at police headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara state
Egbetokun who noted that though the #ENDSARS protest was conducted peacefully in the state for the period the protest lasted as the Police provided adequate protection for the protesters and followed the directive of the IGP in ensuring that the protest was conducted peacefully.
“Yesterday 23/10/20, they looted warehouses, Malls and shops. They forcefully dispossessed individuals of their valuable belongings and threatening to do more. Attempt to burn down a popular Mall after looting was frustrated by security agents. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to parents and guardians to keep their wards off the streets and warn them not to follow the hoodlums who are presently treading a dangerous path. It is our duty to protect lives and properties in the state. Those who choose to remain with the criminals on the streets clearly made a choice of confrontation with the law enforcement agents and are at risk of the consequences of such an action. I also appeal to all law abiding residents of the state to stay at home for the period of the curfew.
However I want to make it clear that criminal elements can not and will not enjoy our protection.”
When asked on why security agencies were not proactive enough to prevent the burgling incidence having gotten the security report earlier, he said “yes it is true the intelligence was available to us and we acted on the intelligence but if you saw what happened yesterday, the boys came out in thousands the number was in several thousands that they came out and they were insisting that they must loot the warehouse at the cargo terminal initially we were able to stop them but by the time his Exellency came, he look at the situation he said ok no problem open the gate of the warehouse for them let them take whatever they want to take and we thought that having successfully gotten into the warehouse, I have taken everything in the warehouse, we thought they will just go back to their homes but they refuse from there they were even encourage to do more from there they went to another mall at Agric susssefully looted the warehouse there, from there they move to custom office they attempted to force their way into the premises of the custom office but they were repelled from there they move to shoprite, they succeeded in looting shoprite and from there they were still looking for more shops and malls to loot they actually looted so many shops and robbed so many individuals on the street that is the incident that happened yesterday and that was why his Excellency the governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak at the security council meeting we had last night took the decision to impose a curfew”
On the numbers of arrest made he said “We have made a number of arrest i dont want to tell you the number right now because arrest are still being made as im speaking now, as we are here all security agents are out and we have continue to make arrest
Speaking on what went wrong given the meeting he had with different youth organisation, he said ” that was one of the measures we took to forestall this kind of occurrence in Kwara state two days ago I met with different youth organisations I was suppose to continue my meeting with them yesterday when peace of the state was broken and the mob came out for looting we are going to investigate what went wrong we are still going to investigate that we are going to find out what went wrong”
On how long would the curfew relaxed he said ” The broadcast of Mr governor is very clear on that he made it clear that the curfew is for 24 hours it started 12 midnight yesterday there is no expiring date for the curfew even me I don’t know when it is going to be relaxed I can tell you that as soon as situation improved, Mr governor is going to review it security agents are out not only the police, the Army, the Air Force the NSCDC all of us are out even the DSS are out all security agents are out to enforce this curfew to ensure we stop this hoodlum from what they did yesterday” he added
