Treat people with ill-gotten wealth as criminals – Delta CP Abaniwonda for Nigerians

The Delta State Police Commissioner, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, has called for the arrest of people flaunting unexplained wealth and to treat them as common criminals.

He made the call through the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, while speaking as a special guest on a radio programme in the state.

He said insecurity in Nigeria would be drastically reduced if those involved were shunned by the society and reported to law enforcement agencies so that they could be arrested and prosecuted.

Abaniwonda decried the new trend where some parents and unpatriotic citizens celebrate and endorse the social status of criminals while flaunting unexplained wealth.

According to him, this was and still is one of the major reasons why crime and insecurity are constantly increasing in Nigeria and in underdeveloped and developing countries of the world.

He revealed that advance fee fraud, looting of public funds and kidnapping for ransom, among other forms of crime, are responsible for high incidence of insecurity caused by the increasing urge of youths to ‘make money’ through dubious and life-threatening ways and means.

The CP said the state police command would continue to ensure protection of lives and property in the three senatorial districts. He also said the command recently seized several arms and ammunition including AK 47 and AK 49 rifles from criminal gangs operating in different parts of the state.

He assured that Delta State would continue to enjoy a good measure of peace and security, while urging insecurity alarmists on social media platforms to always back up their allegations with verifiable information and data where available, so that the police and other sister security agencies can do their work better and in real time.

“Fighting crime is a shared responsibility of law enforcement agencies and citizens through the collection and sharing of reliable information, the reporting of real crimes, and the arrest and prosecution of criminal elements among us.

“One of the reasons for the high level of crime and insecurity is the new trend where some parents and unpatriotic citizens are approving and celebrating ill-gotten wealth or unexplained riches flaunted by criminal elements,” he said.