Security Summit: Ibarapa residents ask Makinde to provide more support for Amotekun Corps, local hunters, OPC others
Akinlabi Afolabi, Ibadan
In continuation of his activities aimed at complementing the efforts of the State Government in stemming the tide of kidnappings, killings, banditry, armed robbery, rape and destruction of farmlands by herders in Ibarapaland, the Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin has convened two separate Security Summits to enable stakeholders to assess the situation and also suggest the best ways to address the problem.
One was held at the Teachers’ Plaza, Igboora for the youth and Students bodies, different Farmers groups, Commercial Motor drivers and Okada riders Associations, Butchers and Cattle sellers Associations, Religious Leaders, Hunters, Vigilance groups, OPC among others, while the second Security Summit was held at Idere with the Obas , High Chiefs and Community leaders in Ibarapaland.
The residents in their comments at the Summit appealed to the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde to allocate special fund to tackle all forms of insecurity in the zone.
The people also called on the Governor to provide more logistics support for Amotekun Corps, Local hunters, Vigilance groups, OPC to enable them work effectively with the Police, Civil Defence Corps , Soldiers and others to end killings, kidnappings , banditry, rape and destruction of farmlands by herders in the area.
A representative of Farmer group, Comrade Bolanle Oyinlola, the Chairman of Ayete Hunters Association, Mr Sola Olalere and other representatives of various groups and youths at the summit decried the activities of Fulani Bororos in the zone and stressed that many eye witnesses and victims accounts attested to the claim in many quotas that these people in collaboration with their Godfathers and other accomplices were responsible for the high rate of killings, kidnappings, rape, armed robbery, banditry and other forms of crimes perpetrated in the zone.
They called for the full implementation of the anti-open hearing and grazing law by the Oyo State Government.
The residents recalled with bitterness, the gruesome murder of prominent people like Mrs Folakemi Olufunmilayo, Dr Fatai Aborode, Mrs Foluke Akinrinade and three of her colleagues, Dr Akindele, Mrs Adisa of Subawah Petroleum and Alh Fatai Yusuf Oko Oloyun and many more.
The Local Government Caretaker Chairmen in the zone disclosed that one of the measures taken by them was the closing down of all cattle markets popularly called Kaara in Ibarapaland adding that investigations revealed that a lot of criminals are harboured inside those Kaara while evil plans are also orchestrated from there.
In their own remarks, some traditional rulers in the zone including the Onidere of Idereland, Oba Aderoju, the Asigangan of Iganganland, Oba Adewuyi Adeoye, Onilala of Lanlate, Oba Sunday Olusegun Bolawaye and the Olu of Igboora, Oba Jimoh Olajide jointly noted that the state of Insecurity has negatively affected subsistent and commercial farming in the zone as many farmers have abandoned their crops in the farm because of fear of being killed, kidnapped or robbed while young and old women are also raped by the criminals.
The Convener of the Security Summit, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said it was unfortunate that Ibarapaland had been turned to an unsecured environment and again used the occasion to commiserate with the families of those who had fallen victims of the various criminalities.
On the anti-open hearing and grazing law sponsored by him, passed by the House of Assembly and assented to by Governor Seyi Makinde, the Speaker assured that he will ensure that the law is fully implemented not only in Ibarapaland and Okeogun areas of the state but also in other zones.
Hon Ogundoyin said ” This is surely not the best of time in terms of security in Nigeria and indeed in several States of the Federation. The situation is also particularly worrisome in Ibarapaland as there’s virtually no town or community in our zone that does not have tales of woes to tell on the rising cases of insecurity in the last one year or more.”
“This security summit is an opportunity for us to lend our voices to the ongoing efforts to rid our land of Criminals, and I want to urge us to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by giving them useful information that would lead to the arrest of the criminals in our midst. ” The Speaker advised
Hon Ogundoyin announced that similar security summit will now be held every three months in the zone to enable residents to identify potential security threat and proffer solution before it snowballs into full blown crisis just as he promised that resolutions and recommendations made at the summit will be presented to the Governor
Earlier, the Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security Matters, CP Sunday Odukoya rtd said it was untrue that the Governor had abandoned the people of Ibarapa to their fate stressing that the Governor would never abandon any part of the State.
According to him, not less than three delegations of the Oyo State Government had visited the zone to assess the situation and the reports had led to the plans rolled out by the Governor to mitigate insecurity in the area, parts of which he stated was the prosecution of all suspects arrested in connection with crimes in the area, approval for the deployment of additional Amotekun Corps to the area and the possibility of compensating the victims of insecurity in Ibarapaland and Okeogun areas of the state.
Member of Oyo Assembly representing Ibarapa North/Central, Hon Peter Ojedokun, the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mrs Funmilayo Orisadeyi , her counterpart from the Youth and Sports Ministry, Mr Seun Fakorede , the Chairman Water Corporation of Oyo State, Dr Adebayo Adepoju and others who are all from the zone pledged their full commitment to all efforts that will enhance peace and security in the area.
