Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Wednesday met with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the security situation in the state, declaring that his administration would continue to take the fight against bandits, hoodlums, armed robbers and kidnappers seriously.
He said; “The tension will definitely go down if a lot of our youths are gainfully employed. So, I briefed the President on what we are doing in that regard.”
Makinde, who addressed State House correspondents in Abuja, identified the real enemies of the state as criminal elements.
He equally sought greater synergy between the state and the federal security agencies, noting that collaborations are required for the state’s security plans to work effectively.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Makinde told the newsmen that he was in Abuja to brief the President on the security situation in Oyo.
The governor said: “I came to brief the President on the security situation in Oyo State. There has been a lot of fake news all around and I wanted to be sure that the President clearly has first-hand information from me, which I did.
“We also exchanged ideas about what we need to do better; some of the programmes we have put in place to ensure that this security issue is tackled. So, that’s basically why I came here.
“The issue that I discussed with Mr. President is the fact that Oyo State landmass is quite big. Oyo State is close to 29,000 square kilometres. And the state right now only has two Mobile Police Squadrons.
“So, I requested for more Mobile Police Squadrons to be deployed to Oyo State and also asked for support for the joint security outfit because the underlying issue here also has to do with limited opportunities. The tension will definitely go down if a lot of our youths are gainfully employed. So, I briefed the President on what we are doing in that regard.
“We have a history of living together peacefully among all the ethnic groups that are present in Oyo State. For instance, what triggered all of these was that Dr. Aborode was brutally murdered; that is criminal. But on the other hand, the Seriki, Alhaji (Saliu) Kabir, has been staying in that same place for 40 years. So, quite frankly, the people we are after are criminals – they are the bandits, hoodlums, armed robbers, kidnappers. Those are the true enemies of the state and those are the people we will go after.
“The Constitution of Nigeria guarantees that you can live in any part of Nigeria. You just have to be law-abiding and obey the local laws in such areas. That is what we are pushing for and will continue to push for as a government.”
