IN a bid to stem the rising wave of kidnapping and other criminal activities, the Akwa Ibom State government has set up a special security desk at the Government House, Uyo.
The desk has a dedicated phone line, 08028276097, through which vital information is received from members of the public, to enable the task force to track down criminals.
Disclosing this in Uyo, the Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Patrick Ekpotu, said the empanelling of the task force arose from the concern of the state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, about frequent cases of kidnapping in the state.
The latest of such happenings was the kidnapping of the wife of a senior politician in the state in the early hours of Thursday, October 16, 2008.
He said that the government would award N2 million to anyone with information on the kidnapping that would facilitate the arrest of the kidnappers of the wife of the politician.
The government had rewarded people, who had provided information leading to the arrest of kidnappers in the state with N1m each.
Ekpotu disclosed that 11 kidnapping rings had been identified in the state, stating that nine had been dismantled while security operatives were still on trail of the remaining two rings of kidnappers.
Twenty-nine kidnap suspects had been arrested so far, and were helping the Police in their investigations.
In order to achieve maximum safety and security in the state, he enjoined citizens to cooperate with government by making vital information available to government and security agents, on the activities of suspected criminals around them.
He assured that any information received would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
“Flushing out criminals from Akwa Ibom is a priority to the present administration in the state so as to maintain its most peaceful status in the Niger Delta,” he said.
Calling on the citizens not to entertain any fear, Ekpotu said the leadership of the state would remain alive to its responsibility of ensuring safety of life and property and maintaining a conducive atmosphere for businesses and investments to thrive.
The deputy governor, who stressed that efforts would be geared towards the strengthening of security apparatus in the state, commended the state Police Command and other security outfits for the roles they had played in helping to maintain law and order.