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•Students barricade Lagos-Abeokuta road over abductions •As Ogun, Oyo set up Joint Border Security Task Force
By Dapo Akinrefon & James Ogunnaike, LAGOS
THE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, warned that the spate of insecurity may consume the country if urgent steps are not taken to curb the menace.
This came as vehicular activities on Abeokuta- Sango-Lagos expressway was disrupted, yesterday, following a protest by students of DS Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, over the alleged abduction of two students by suspected gunmen.
Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, yesterday, expressed worry over the increase in kidnappings, robberies, banditry, ritual killings and farmers-herders clashes in the border areas, particularly along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and expressed their readiness to set up a Joint Border Security Task Force.
Insecurity may consume Nigeria, if… —Afenifere
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.
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“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.
Students barricade Lagos-Abeokuta road as gunmen abduct 2 in Ogun
Meanwhile, vehicular activities on the Abeokuta-Sango-Lagos expressway were, yesterday, disrupted, as some unknown gunmen attacked a hostel of the students around 1 am at Afowowa, Itori and made away with laptops and other valuable belongings.
The students, who expressed their anger because the police refused to respond to distress calls, said the attack lasted for almost four hours, unhindered.
One of the protesting students said: “The gunmen attacked a hostel at Afowowa and operated for almost four hours. They made away with laptops and other belongings of our colleagues. We called the police but there was no response. Later, the police said their vehicle was not in good condition.
“When they finally arrived, they said the students should lead in facing the gunmen. One of the students was shot in the leg and others were badly injured. That is why we took to the streets to protest.”
The students, who had earlier marched to the police station, barricaded the main road linking Abeokuta with Sango-Ota and Lagos.
Commuters on the road said they have been held in traffic for hours as the students refused to drop their agitation that the kidnapped students be rescued.
It was gathered that some police vans were stoned during the protest.
Police react
When contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was aware of the protest, but said, he had not been fully briefed about the cause of the demonstration.
Ogun, Oyo set up Joint Border Security Task Force
In a bid to tackle insecurity in Nigeria, the Ogun and Oyo State governments, yesterday, agreed to inaugurate a high-level Joint Security Committee to focus on and proactively address security matters along with the boundary communities and interstate roads, to enhance security between them.
Reading from a communiqué jointly signed by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, after the inaugural joint security meeting yesterday, in Abeokuta, said that membership of the Joint Border Security Task Force would be drawn from various security agencies in the two states, to patrol the border communities.
The communiqué reads: “The meeting agreed to implement the following initiatives in the short term; deployment of CCTV on the interstate highways; setting up of outposts along with the border communities for the use of the Joint Border Security Task Force; harmonisation and mainstreaming of voluntary police and informal security outfits; timely and diligent prosecution of criminals to signify the resolve of the governments of both states to clamp down on criminality.
In this wise, the Attorneys-General of the two states should ensure synergy between law enforcement agencies and their prosecution departments or directorates during the investigative and prosecution phases of cases.
“The meeting emphasized that security is very critical to the achievement of the much-desired socio-economic development. Therefore, the two governors reaffirmed their commitment to the attainment of the objectives of the Joint Security initiatives. The meeting set up an Implementation Team to work out the modalities and programme of activities.”
Vanguard News Nigeria
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