Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo government has expressed willingness to engage the services of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the fight against insecurity in all parts of the state.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu who disclosed this when he received leaders of the group in Akure, said his confidence in the ability of the organisation to fight crime is not in doubt.
The government recently launched the state security outfit named “Amotekun” comprising men of the various security outfits with a view to curbing criminal activities in the state.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, who received the OPC leaders, stressed that the state government had resolved to partner the group as a leading member of the state security outfits (Amotekun) for the purpose of community policing.
“Governor Akeredolu who is the chairman of South West Governors’ Forum convened the South West Security meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State few weeks ago where it was resolved to jointly finance a security outfit to tackle the incessant case of kidnapping, armed banditry, herdsmen attacks and other criminal activities in the region.
“It was there that it was first agreed upon that the security outfit must enlist the support and participation of our brothers in OPC under the leadership of the Aare Onakakanfo, Iba Gani Adams, in order to assist the police in their quest to get rid of organised crimes in the grassroots, our forests, our villages, towns and cities. The community policing policy will also include other local security outfits like Vigilante Group of Nigeria and local hunters.
“I am happy to also inform you that our governor has already blaze the trail by procuring hundreds of vehicles and over 250 motorcycles for the takeoff of the Amotekun outfit, which I am sure, some of it will be allocated to your group, OPC as operational vehicles among other incentives to assist you in doing the job which you have volunteered to undertake for our people with all loyalty, dedication and faithfulness.
“The gods of our land shall be with you and keep you safe throughout the tough task,” he stated.