Police protection and enhanced cooperation with student leaders to promote peace and security in Osun and Oyo States have been pledged by AIG Bassey Samuel Ewah, who is in charge of Zone XI Command Headquarters in Osogbo.
On Thursday, while the Southwest Zone executives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), headed by Comrade Josiah Adeyemo, paid a courtesy call to the Zone XI Headquarters in Osogbo, AIG Ewah made the guarantee.
In a statement released on Thursday, SP Ojedele Olanrewaju Tunji, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, stated that the purpose of the visit was to welcome the AIG and to enhance relations between the student community and the police.
With this, the NANS Southwest Zone hopes to restate its dedication to collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force to foster long-term stability in the two states that fall under its purview.
Adeyemo, who spoke during the visit, congratulated Ewah on taking office and said that the association is prepared to work with the police to make the school and surrounding area safer for everyone.
The present leadership of the association continues to prioritise student sensitisation, according to the NANS Southwest leader.
Promoting responsible behaviour and harmonious cohabitation, he emphasised, requires constant participation and public knowledge.
In response, Ewah greeted the group with open arms, calling the student leaders “his children,” and he was overjoyed that they were eager to work with the police to promote harmony, safety, and understanding.
The AIG urged student union officials to be serious about their duties after recalling his time as a unionist at Calabar University.
He questioned the students’ ability to “demonstrate discipline, maturity and responsibility in their leadership roles.”
He went on to say that good student leadership necessitated open communication, good discernment, and a dedication to the well-being of the people they were representing.
Ewah reassured the group that the Nigeria Police Force will continue to uphold the constitutional rights of all residents, including students. “The protection of lives and property remains a paramount responsibility of the police,” he stressed.
Additionally, he urged student leaders to teach their members to respect one another, stay focused on their studies, and not break the law by engaging in violent or illegal behaviour or speaking out against injustices.