-Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) –By Albert OGRAKA:

Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Mr. Ari Mohammed Alli, has ordered Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the state to exhibit commitment in their duties of policing or risk sanctions.

Alli, who stated this at the state command headquarters in Asaba, warned that any of such officers whose area of operations recorded more than three incidences of robbery, kidnapping, killings and other dastardly criminal acts would be redeployed.

He decried the rise in criminality in the state within the past weeks, saying that it was expected of the police to carry out its role with utmost commitment and professionalism towards curbing crimes in the state.

Meanwhile, the President-General of the apex Urhobo socio-cultural body, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide, Olorogun Moses Taiga, has condemned in strong terms killings alleged to be politically motivated in Delta State.

Reacting to the recent gruesome murder of the Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Youth Development, Okiemute Sowho, in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, the UPU leader said that “killing is not part of Urhobo politics” and warned politicians and those behind such unfortunate killings to desist from such callousness

While recalling the gruesome manner of some Urhobo young politicians who have been reportedly killed in recent times, the statement said, “Last year a young politician, Elliott Ofa, was killed on his way from Oghara to Asaba at Oben in respect of the local government elections. Also same year, another young politician was cut short of his life in Ughelli South.”

“In the last few days, another young politician has been brazenly hacked down in Sapele. There are a few other killings with suspicious political undertones. Investigations have not proven that their deaths were politically motivated and the Urhobo Progress Union is not saying their death is politically motivated.”

He therefore called on those seeking political office to see such as a call for service and for the uplifting of their people and not for eliminating their opponents to realise their ambition.

“While we await the police to unravel the perpetrators of these killings, the UPU says enough of these killings. The Urhobos are peace loving people. Nobody should turn Urhobo land into a river of blood,” the President General pleaded.