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THE SECURITY ALERT IN OYO


Engr. Seyi Makinde
Executive Governor of Oyo State 


Written by Oladotun Oladele

In Nigeria of today, security is no longer the exclusive responsibility of our security agencies given the various incidencies that have taken place in our dear country and our neighboring states. The patrol of the Nigeria police and all synergized security agencies in Oyo with their patrol in the hinterlands is a wake up call and a very much welcomed development in Oyo most especially from the events of countless lives and properties that have been lost due to the attacks by armed bandits who have terrorised some villages in Kwara State before the deployment of the detachment of the military to quell the bandit incursions.

In Yoruba parlance, the proverb that says "the death that is killing someone very close to one is definitely sending one a strong message". There is need for proactiveness in checkmating the menace of the nefarious activities of these hoodlums and security is actually local. From the patrol of the security forces in a Show of Force which necessitated the foiling of robbery or possibly kidnapping attempt because seeing that the perpetrators had a herd of cattle show that like most instances it would be rather a kidnapping than robbery seeing they know their ways around the forest which are largely unguarded.

Though in Oyo State there is an arm of the government that is said to be responsible for arresting cattle herders who are busy herding their cows without adequate provisions of place to keep their livestocks like the poultry owners. As it is, there are no corps or agents of government who go around trying to enforce this government directive, one wonders how the government agency will actually be able to discharge its duties effectively? We have many policies but implementation is actually lacking and government at the centre need to wake up to their responsibility because farmers and herders clash are said to be topmost amongst the problems of Fulani and farmers clashes. Many farmers have lost their lives as a result of clashes with herdsmen who plunder their crops.

Information mechanism, the Nigeria Police and all sister security agencies are our friends because they are saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law and order. The saying, If you see something, say something, as good as this is, considering the distances, the police that went for the patrol said they had been on patrol since 7.00am and returned to their station by 4pm because of the vast land that they had to cover. The bandits that got away, they will most definitely regroup somewhere, with the attendant problems of cell phone network, this will pose more problems for security agencies and informants. 

There is need to organize the local vigilantes, hunters and farmers who live and farm in such areas because they are the first sets of contact people. The question now comes to, if there is a control room where such information can be shared and security for the whistle blower against reprisal attacks. The need for sensitization of people in these hinterlands aside the facts that there is need for logistics because lack of knowledge of terrain, no one wants to walk into an ambush not forgetting the facts that there are no gadgets for surveillance like a drone. 

If Oyo State can put many of these things into consideration, we may avoid unnecessary and avoidable loss of lives and properties.






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