Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has been urged to take immediate and decisive measures to secure lives and property in the state.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Adeolu Akande, made the plea in the wake of the security measures announced by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Monday.
The Ondo State Government had on Monday given a 7-day ultimatum to illegal occupants of forest reserves in the state to vacate their hideout. The government also announced many other stringent steps to secure the state from incorrigible elements.
Professor Akande noted the extreme measures would make Ondo State uncomfortable for the criminals, who would seek a new haven and continue to wreak havoc.
“It is logical to expect that the displacement of these criminal elements from Ondo State will lead them to migrate to comfortable zones to continue their nefarious activities. This is the risk Oyo State faces if it fails to take stern measures to keep such elements away from the state.
“We should not be unmindful of claims by the Chairman of the Amotekun corps in Oyo State that the forest reserves in the Oke Ogun area have become a haven for criminals from neighbouring countries.
“It is therefore of great urgency that Governor Makinde announces measures to ensure that Oyo State does not become a natural comfort zone for criminal elements expelled from neighbouring states.
Professor Akande noted that the rising crime wave in the state and across the country calls for collective action from all citizens.
“This is no time to trade culpability. The state is facing a serious security challenge, and all of us must join hands with the governor to salvage the situation. Criminals do not distinguish between political parties when they commit a crime. They do not choose their victims according to their political affiliation. All hands must be on deck to return our dear state to a secure and peaceful one”, Professor Akande concluded.
