Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has called for calm following an attack by bandits at the National Park Office, Oloka Village, in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Makinde assured that his administration would leave no stone unturned to ensure that such attacks are not repeated.
In a statement on Wednesday, the governor said, “Earlier today, there was a criminal attack by bandits at the National Park Office, Oloka Village, which resulted in the death of five National Park Service Forest Guard Officers.
“This is a devastating loss of the lives of personnel in the course of carrying out their lawful duties. May their souls rest in peace.
“Preliminary investigations by the security agencies indicate that this was a cross-border attack carried out by bandits. The security agencies are already working together to address this incident and are seeking the support of residents in the area to assist with their intelligence gathering.
“Let me appeal to residents of Oyo State, especially those in Oriire LGA and other LGAs along our borders, to remain calm as the security agencies have restored normalcy and deployed more personnel to the area.
“Our administration will leave no stone unturned to respond decisively to prevent a recurrence of such attacks.”
In other news, stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State have opened their doors to Governor Seyi Makinde amid rising defection rumours, even as they cautioned against imposition, domination and undemocratic practices within the party.
A chieftain of the party, Mrs. Bolanle Sarumi (Basa), said the ADC was willing to receive the governor and other prominent political actors, provided they embrace the party’s ideology of fairness, inclusiveness and respect for internal democracy.
Sarumi reaffirmed the ADC’s commitment to the rule of law, stressing that the party welcomes all Nigerians but would not compromise its values to accommodate political heavyweights.
“We are a party that respects the rule of law and welcomes everybody,” she said. “However, the ADC is built on a strong ideological foundation. It is not a platform for domination, imposition or political high-handedness.”
Addressing speculation that Governor Makinde may be considering a move to the ADC, Sarumi said that although the reports were yet to be confirmed, the party would receive him warmly if he decides to join.
“If it is true that Governor Makinde intends to join our great party, he is welcome,” she stated. “But he must understand that the ADC operates on a clear ideology of fairness and equity. There is no room for domination or imposition in our party.”
