The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has warned that the spate of insecurity may consume the country if urgent steps are not taken to check the menace.
The warning followed the alleged abduction of students of DS Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, by suspected gunmen, causing protesting students of the school to block the Abeokuta- Sango-Lagos expressway,
thereby disrupting vehicular activities.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, have expressed worry over the increase in kidnapping, robbery, banditry, ritual killing and farmers-herders clash in the border areas, particularly along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, saying they would set up a Joint Border Security Task Force.
Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, expressed regret that the more insecurity seems to be enveloping the country, the more the government appears to be losing grip on how to deal with the menace.
The pan-Yoruba organisation berated the National Assembly members, who recently voted against state police.
It, however, urged the state governors and members of the states’ Houses of Assembly to mount pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to allow state police “if they are sincere in putting an end to the menace of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria today.”
The statement reads: “In the efforts to tame the monster, a lot of security personnel have lost their lives while many were wounded.
The spate of security and safety infractions makes it look like Nigeria is in the state of war. We, therefore, challenge those at the helms of affairs to be more sincere in finding effective solutions to the problem, Afenifere noted
“The immediate strategies to end the scourge are to quickly allow states and local government councils to have their police force, strengthen the existing security forces and motivate security personnel adequately. Government should also create an atmosphere for youths in the country to be productively engaged, respect the rule of law including the fundamental rights of the Nigerian citizens as well as stop treating terrorists and bandits with kid gloves.
“To make the suggested strategy enduring and effective, Afenifere calls for the amendment of section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to enable states and local government councils to have their police forces.
“This is a big slap on the spirit of federalism. It must be changed to vest more power on states and local government councils especially on such issues as security, natural resources, education, health and transport etc,” Afenifere stated.
