By Newsmata
In preparation for full operations, the newly recalled personnel of the defunct Edo State Security Network, ESSN, now renamed Edo State Security Corps, (ESSC) have been directed to report for profiling at some designated centres in the three senatorial districts of Edo State.
Newsmata recalls that the ESSN was banned September 11, 2024 by Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun ahead of the governorship election in the state. The suspension was however lifted on Friday by Governor Monday Okpebholo to enhance security of the state.
The Coordinator of the ESSC, Friday Ibadin, a retired Commissioner of Police, in a chat with journalists, on Saturday, said “available records indicate that there are 11,098 personnel across the state” stressing that the pro-filing exercise was to place the state security outfit on a better footing for enhanced security of the State.
Ibadin said the “profiling will be done simultaneously on Monday, 2nd December, 2024 at the police area command at Auchi for personnel in Edo North; for Edo Central, they will converge at the public field in Esan North East, while those for Edo South will take their turn in Benin city.”
He instructed the personnel to be fully kitted, come with their identity card, while those with arms should also come with them.
Ibadin explained that “The reasons why we are trying to profile and re-evaluate our personnel is to know our strength, composition and disposition.
“We have appointed coordinators from the three Senatorial Districts in the state to profile the personnel who must be properly kitted. They should be fully kitted in uniforms, ID cards and their firearms for proper profiling as we will give the arms code to properly differentiate them.
“We want the members of the public to be aware of what we are doing as we are striving towards a safer Edo State. We want Edo State to be safe because without a safer society, there can’t be development. Security and development work side by side.
“Security is quite an expensive venture, insecurity is most expensive . We are doing all to sanitize the whole system so that our people can sleep with their two eyes closed and be very grateful to the security outfit in place, as well as the Governor Okpebholo’s administration”.