As the Nigeria Police begins operation to combat security challenges in the country, the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Wednesday called for the recruitment of more Marine Police to curb criminal activities in the riverine areas of the country.

He noted that due to absence of adequate security personnel, riverine areas in the country have become entry and exit points for criminals.

Akeredolu made the call while receiving the Assistant Inspector General of Police, in charge of zone 11, comprising Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States, Mr. Leye Oyebade at the Governor’s office, Alagbaka in Akure.

The AIG Oyebade was in the state to launch Operation “Puff Adder” aimed at curbing kidnapping and other crimes.

The governor, represented by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, insisted that the Police must intensify efforts in securing the waterways just as its gives more attention in securing the land boaders.

Akeredolu recounted the roles of state in the rescue of some students from Epe, Lagos two years ago, adding that the kidnappers used the water ways because of the porous security.

“The order in our communities is that government is more interested in the land boarders, leaving our water boarders too porous. That is why you see our boys there resorting to self help, which is not too good,’ he noted

“Most of the arms that are coming to the country, I want to tell you that they are from these porous, open boarders. So it is good that the police takes note of this and see how they can arrest it and police our water ways”, the Governor said.

While noting that the police alone could not be left with the security of any community, the

Governor called on citizens to always avail the them with necessary information and support that would ease their operations.

He gave assurance that his government would give the police every necessary support whenever it is called upon to see to the success of operation in the state

Earlier, the AIG, Leye Oyebade, thanked the state government for its supports to the Police Ondo State command, calling more to make ‘Operation Puff Adder’ a success in the state.

According to him, the operation Puff Adder which was lunched at the federal and the State levels was an antidote to fight crimes ravaging the societies in the recent times.

Oyebade said the visit therefore was to carry the government and other necessary stakeholders along in the fight.

According to him, findings had revealed that the water fronts of Ondo State were being used as exit routes by the miscreants after perpetrating kidnapping and other eneous crimes.

“The lunching of Operation Puff Adder is to swallow all these kidnapping, cultism and the likes in our society,”he said.