The Oyo State Government has vowed to go hard on crimes and criminalities in the state, as it reassures residents of adequate security and safety of lives and property, especially in parts experiencing security challenges.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd), gave the assurance on Wednesday, February 19, while briefing newsmen after a security stakeholders’ meeting held at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the governor, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, spoke on Owoseni’s explanation that the meeting was convened for the committee to review and rejig strategies on security matters and also restrategise towards strengthening the security measures put in place to stem the tide of banditry and criminality in some parts of Oyo township, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, parts of Ibadan and Oyo State as a whole.
The Special Adviser on Security added that part of the resolutions of the meeting was to integrate the community leaders and actively involve members of the grassroots in the security architecture of the state with a view to renewing the commitment to collaborate with the government.
Owoseni equally stated that with the robust synergy among the service commanders and the collaborative efforts of the neighbouring states, bandits and other criminal elements would face a tough time in the state.
He commended the security architecture put in place by Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, noting that the priority given to security matters is helping in the expansion of the state’s economy and the thriving of businesses in the state.
He, therefore, implored residents of the state to be security-conscious and to always make use of the toll free Emergency Number 615 rightly to report any suspicious act or criminality in their areas, as according to him, security is the obligation of everyone.
He said: “Just like we have always said, when it comes to the issue of security, you periodically review your strategy. Of late, it has been observed from situation reports received from security institutions across Oyo State that there seems to be a renewed resurgence of crime and criminalities.
“We have always prided ourselves as one of the safest states in the country with the collaborative efforts of the security agencies and the wherewithal that the governor of the state has been giving them.
“In the course of reviewing the security situation, we discovered that we have renewed attacks around Oyo Township, Ogbomoso, parts of Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa as well as at the outskirts of Ibadan.
“Heads of security agencies held a meeting yesterday to look at what we are not doing right and the need for us to restrategise so that we won’t rest on our oars.
“Concluding the meeting, we found out that there is a need to engage our people — society approach. We started it in Oyo State when the governor approved that our security architecture should be changed to what we call integrated security concept where the non-state actors will have a handshake with the state actors.
“We were able to put up the non-state actors together — the vigilance groups, Agbekoyas, hunters, OPC members and Soluderos. We started it in Ibadan, where the Mogajis also floated a compound security group that the Mogajis are coordinating. After reviewing the situation, we found out that we need to re-strategise and get our people to be more involved. That’s a major gap — community involvement.
“Today, we had an opportunity to meet with stakeholders — Chairmen of the local government in Oyo axis and the Honourable members representing the axis in the House of Assembly; the elders from Oyo including some traditional stakeholders.
“We interacted with them today to let them know our strategy and the need for them to get actively involved in whatever the state actors are doing. We made them know there is a need for them to share intelligence with us and we believe that, moving on, we should be able to stem this embarrassing tide of crimes and criminalities that are raising their ugly head in the axes we have mentioned.
“We have geo-mapped the state and we know those areas where those things are happening and are not happening because we know that once you put fire on criminals in one area, they move to another area.
“Just last week, the military did an extensive combing of the Old Oyo Park. We have always done that on a regular basis but, with the information that we are having that part of the Park was being infiltrated by some criminal elements, especially illegal miners, the Garrison Commander did combing and clearance operations of the Old Park, up to our border with Kwara State.
“We are also exploring every possibility of synergy with Kwara State, just like we have been doing with Ogun State. This will take me to the viral video, which people circulated yesterday.
“Some people in Ogunmakin said that some elements have infiltrated them. Yes, in as much as Ogunmakin is in Ogun State and not Oyo State, we shared the information with the security apparatus in Ogun State yesterday, but we are not just leaving it to them, because we share boundaries.
“We want the people to know that we have what it takes to prevent all acts of criminalities. And we also have what it takes to respond effectively.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell our people that there is no cause for alarm. The Service Commanders in Oyo State are rejigging their strategy to strengthen their collaborative efforts to ensure that we are able to put a stop to all that is happening.”
Owoseni, who clarified that the meeting of security stakeholders and the community and political leaders in Oyo had nothing to do with the forthcoming coronation of the Alaafin of Oyo, said the meeting was only a part of the strategic decision taken at a meeting of the service commanders of the operational arms of the security.
The meeting had in attendance service commanders, local government chairmen, traditional leaders, community leaders from the four local government areas of Oyo Federal Constituency and top government functionaries.
