• Vows to resist further attacks
• Ooni advisory caucus seeks decentralisation of police

The South-West Security Stakeholders Group (SSSG) has condemned, in strong terms, the rising spate of insecurity across South-West.

The group says that the killing of two traditional rulers in Ekiti State and one in Kwara State, and the abduction of the school children, also in Ekiti State, portends grave danger to the region.

The SSSG, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Ireti Adewole, after its monthly meeting on the state of the nation, said it is time to rescue the situation before it is too late.

The foremost Yoruba security outfit said that the South-West had currently been challenged with a series of security threats, which is making the region volatile for residents.

The group, however, urged the Federal Government, as well as the governors of the six states in the region, to urgently address the security deficit before it is too late.

ALSO, the apex Advisory Council to Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has extended its heartfelt sympathy to the families, communities and the people and government of Ekiti State on the brutal and abominable killing of two traditional rulers, including the Oba of Koro in Kwara State; the horrific kidnapping of school children and their teachers and the recent violent assault on the peace, security and corporate integrity of Ekiti State, the South-West and indeed all the six geo-political zones.

It said that while it awaits the outcome of investigations into these reprehensible and criminally-insane acts, the culprits should be subjected to the wrath of law to its fullest extent.

The Ooni caucus urged the location of a military base in Ekiti State to reinforce the extant security apparatus in the state, which had proven woefully inadequate.

It also joined the urgent calls for a constitutional amendment towards the decentralisation of the Nigerian police with the specific objective of enabling the creation of state and community-based policing.

The decentralisation, it said, should be complemented with the cooperation and collaboration of former servicemen, such as retirees from the police, military and paramilitary forces.

The apex advisory council, in a communique issued after its extraordinary meeting of February 4, 2024, to address the emergency crisis of insecurity/kidnapping in the South-West, called for the enhancement of the capabilities of the local law enforcement agencies domiciled in the 774 local councils through the office of the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs)

The communiqué reads in part: “We commend the establishment of the Amotekun Corps, the Pan South-West zonal security outfit, and its conspicuous accomplishment in its short existence regardless of acutely inadequate resources at its disposal. We appeal to the state governments of the South-West zone to double down on this initiative with the provision of ample resources and logistics support. We equally deem the activation of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) as of the essence and urgent imperative.

“Other notable pro-Yoruba communal security groups, such as the one led by Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a. Sunday Igboho), should be equally encouraged and energised towards the strategic protection and defence of Yoruba region.”