From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

 

The trio of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, have reviewed security challenges besetting Nigeria and proffered pragmatic steps for the country to overcome banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other forms of criminality.

 

They spoke at a meeting held by Governor Makinde with traditional rulers across the 33 local government areas of the state, at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, on Wednesday.

 

Apart from the trio, the meeting was attended by a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja; deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Rauf Olaniyan; Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin; Garrison Commander, 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Brig-Gen Adesoji Ogunsugba; Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs. Ngozi Onadeko; as well as Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, represented by Oba Oyetunji Ojo; and other traditional rulers.

 

They identified defects in the operation of the constitution of Nigeria as the bane of insecurity threatening the corporate existence of the nation, and warned that without the approval of state police by the Federal Government, the country would only be running in a circle and no appreciable progress would be made in the fight against security challenges.

 

According to them, the operation of the constitution of Nigeria supposed to reflect a true federal nature of the country, adding that in reality, Nigeria is operating a unitary system, which has made it difficult for the country to overcome its festering security issues. They were optimistic that the governors would be rightly positioned to decisively tackle peculiar insecurity cases in their respective states, if the Federal Government approved creation of state police.

 

The Garrison Commander of the 2 Division of Nigerian Army and the Commissioner of Police in the state, said security agencies have been working and would continue to work to ensure security of lives and property. They, however, called on the public to give them credible information for them to work with.

Governor Makinde, in his address, described security as one of the four pillars of the Roadmap for Accelerated Development in Oyo State 2019 to 2023, adding that other pillars that his administration stands on are health, education, and expansion of economy.

 

He stated that after his administration holistically reviewed the security situation in the state, the government had to set up Security Taskforce and War Room to deal with peculiar security challenges in different zones of Oyo State. He stated further that the state has decided to involve traditional rulers and non-state actors for the state to deal with its security challenges towards ensuring adequate security of lives and property.

 

“Security is one of the four pillars of the Roadmap for Accelerated Development in Oyo State 2019 to 2023. The four pillars that this administration stands on are health, education, expansion of economy and security.   So, if Oyo State is to continue to be on the path of economic growth, then the state security architecture must be maintained. So far, Oyo State is doing well economically. This is as a result of the policies that the state has put in place,” he said.

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Makinde noted that at the advent of COVID-19 pandemic in the state in 2020, his administration set up a taskforce, and the decisions taken by the taskforce became template that other states and Federal Government eventually adopted. He submitted that the Security Taskforce and War Room would come up with integrated solutions that other states in Nigeria and the Federal Government might eventually adopt to tackle insecurity in the country.

 

The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Adetunji, who spoke through the Otun Olubadan, Senator Lekan Balogun, advocated that Nivgeria should became truly federal and not unitary, adding that true federalism would give the state governors power to deal with security challenges in their states.

He noted that the northern part of the country preferred the current federal structure to the one initiated by the founding fathers of the nation. The monarch added that the responsibility of providing security rests on the shoulders of three groups – the political public office holders, the security agencies in uniform, and the traditional institution. He called on the government to recognise the three groups, and they should work together to promote security.

 

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi, also said: “I use this medium to appreciate the governor that invited us the traditional council to discuss with us on the security of our domains. If we sit down here, there are some things that we cannot say publicly. If the meeting had been private one, there are things we would have been able to say. We the traditional rulers are stakeholders. In our community, and villages, those being killed are our wives, and children. Our daughters and women are those being raped. They are killing our people. We cannot relocate to Ibadan in search of protection.

 

“I have a prepared speech, and if I decide to read it, this place will shake. All the suspected criminals that we arrested through our own local intelligence in the forests, we handed them over to the police. They were arrested for kidnapping, rituals, and so on. But we usually see them on the third day, walking around the street.

 

“Governor Makinde is taking the right step, but the Constitution that we are operating in Nigeria is defective. The governor is doing what he can and he can do whatever you want him to do. But when it comes to the area of security, there is nothing the state government can do, if the Federal Government does not do it. The state governor cannot direct the Commissioner of Police to do something, if the Federal Government does not approve of it, the CP will not honour the governor.  We should not deceive ourselves.

 

“Since 2018, we the traditional rulers have not been sleeping with our two eyes closed since they started the Jihad. They have been kidnapping kings too. When they kidnapped the Baba-Aso of Igbole, we the traditional rulers were the ones that contributed money for ransom and paid before the monarch, his wife and child were freed. We have secured the release of many victims. We have our own vigilante in the forests. We buy 10 bags of garri, 10 bags of semovita and so on for the vigilante in the forests. We would not declare our operation modality until after the arrest of the suspects and we hand them over to the police. I will leave the original copy of my address with the governor. He can investigate at police formations, especially at the anti-kidnapping unit in Ibadan. None of those arrested and handed over to the police had been jailed.

 

“The money that Oyo State Government is spending on security, you are just spending because there is no appreciable results. We are stakeholders, we partner with you, and we spend our money to put up vigilante group that are still in the forests. Also, we have some Fulani that believe in us. If they entered the forest today, before tomorrow, they are already in Benin Republic. A suspect that was arrested with AK-47 rifle, we have his photograph, that we handed over to the police, where is the AK-47 rifle now? If you invite us, we will advise you appropriately.

 

“The initiation of Amotekun Corps by the South West governors is the first breakthrough in tackling insecurity in the zone. But if we have not got to the stage of having state police in Nigeria, the states will continue to be puppet under the Federal Government of Nigeria. How did we get to where we are today? Your Excellency, you can build a wonderful edifice, but the operation of the constitution will not allow you to achieve the goal.”