TheCable

Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader of the senate, says the national assembly is working to strengthen community policing in the country.

Bamidele spoke on Saturday when he received an honorary doctorate degree in private law from the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

Olamilekan Adeola, senate committee chair on appropriations, and Yusuf Daji, house of representatives committee chair on navy, were among the recipients of the awards.

The senate leader said due to the spate of banditry and kidnapping across the country, there is need for decisive action.

“More than ever before, the national assembly is working tirelessly to provide the necessary legislative framework to strengthen community policing and multi-level security architecture,” he said.

“Developing such a legal framework has become imperative at this time in our history. This plan is in the overriding public interest of safeguarding the security of lives and property, the stability of our democracy and the progress of our fatherland.

“The cases of abduction, killings, maiming, population displacement and disruption of socio-economic activities in Benue, Ekiti, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara in recent times have called for an urgent and decisive action by all state actors and other stakeholders.”

Bamidele said those behind these crimes would not escape the wrath of the law.

“None of them will escape the long arm of the law,” he said.

“In Ekiti, we are peace-loving people. But nobody should take our spirit of good neighborliness and accommodation for granted for any reason.”

On his part, Adeola said he would continue to add value to the country’s educational sector.