By Akin Durodola and Rotimi Omole - 17.07.2007

He also tasked the state police command to come out with its report on the attack on the house of the former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.

While receiving the newly posted Commissioner of Police, Mr. Udom Ekpoudom, during a visit to his office, Chief Alao-Akala tasked the police chief and other security officers in the state to do their job as expected of them.

The governor, in response to the police commissioner’s speech of his readiness to chase away “bad boys and armed robbers terrorising the state,” said he was in support of that because he did not harbour any political thug let alone criminals.

“Oyo State is very volatile. Do the job the way you are supposed to do it as a police officer. Beware of politicians who will tell you something to favour them.

“I don’t think I need any political thug to follow me. I have security officers attached to me and God, my greatest protector. Any political thug in the state, I want them to be dealt with,” he said.

On the attack on the house of Senator Ladoja, the governor urged the Commissioner of Police to speed up his report “so that the people will know what actually happened.”

He also appealed to the people to assist the police to do their job effectively, adding that security was everybody’s business.

While assuring the state police command of government’s assistance to do its job creditably, Chief Alao-Akala charged police officers to be upright by not taking bribe.

Earlier, Mr. Ekpoudom had informed the governor of the readiness of the state command under him to chase away political thugs, bad boys and armed robbers from the state.

“The state will not be good for bad boys and armed robbers. It’s either they change or leave the state for us,” he said, while pledging his loyalty to the state government.

He said since he resumed in the state, 17 armed robbery suspects had been arrested with arms and ammunition.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ekpoudom has warned members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state against any form of thuggery.

He said, while meeting with the two factions of the union in the state that any suspect caught would be treated as an armed robber.

He also warned his men against collecting bribe from commercial drivers.