Traditional worshippers in Kwara State have been asked to shelve their planned Isese festival in the state over security issues, Naija News reports.
The Kwara State command of the Nigeria Police warned the traditional worshippers in a statement signed and issued on Monday through its Public Relations Officer, SP Okasanmi Ajayi.
This news platform understands that the traditional religion worshippers had scheduled August 20, 2023, to celebrate Isese Day in the state. They were, however, asked to take the event elsewhere as the security situation in the state is not favourable for such a celebration.
The Police Command said it had met with the worshipers and advised them to find a suitable place in another state in the country for the celebration.
The statement reads: “Vigilante, local hunters, community policing members, and the leadership of the traditional worshippers in Kwara, along with some of their leaders from adjoining states, have also been dialogued with and made to understand that the intelligence available to the Police Command does not favour the kind of celebrations being planned by one of the religious sects in the state; they have been advised to relocate their celebration to another state pending a favourable security situation in the state.”
According to the force, it had planned to implement a new strategy to ensure harmonious living among the people and put criminal activities at bay in all areas of the state, adding that a 24-hour stop and search would be conducted by the Police on people and vehicles in the state.
The statement added: “In continuation of the Kwara State Police Command’s onerous effort to ensure a safe and secure State for the good people of Kwara, the Commissioner of Police Kwara State Command, CP. Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi psc+, FISN held a meeting with Service Commanders, comprising heads of all security agencies in the state, where the security situation of the state was discussed and existing strategies dissected, where every t was crossed and all the ‘i’ was dotted.
“New security plans have been implemented across the length and breadth of Kwara State. One of the strategies to put crime and criminality at bay in the state is ‘Harmony Security Week. This operation will include aggressive stop and search, motorized, and foot patrols on a 24-hour basis.
“To this end, the CP is using this medium to put the good people of Kwara State on notice of the special security operation and advise the people not to panic or be apprehensive when confronted with the policemen on the assignment but to comport themselves and submit themselves for body and vehicular searches whenever they are asked to do so.
“The officers deployed for the assignment have been trained and warned to respect the rights of the citizens in the process of carrying out their duties.”
The Command further warned would-be lawbreakers in whatever guise and nomenclature to steer clear of Kwara State, as anyone found in any manner constituting himself or herself a security threat would be arrested and prosecuted.