Insecurity: Osinbajo meets Osun monarchs, harps on community policing

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday held a closed door consultative security meeting with traditional rulers in Osun. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, led other traditional rulers to the meeting held at the Government House in Osogbo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Gboyega Oyetola was represented at the meeting by his deputy, Mr Benedict Alabi. The meeting, which lasted for more than two hours, also had heads of all the security agencies in the state in attendance.

Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Osinbajo said he met with the traditional rulers as they were an important component of the security architecture in the state.

The vice president said since the Federal Government had met with South-West governors, there was the need for him to also meet with the traditional rulers to find lasting solution to the security challenges in the zone.

Osinbajo, who noted that Federal Government was doing everything possible to put an end to the security challenges in the country, said there was the need to understand the security architecture of the zone.

“We have already had consultations with the South-West governors and the consultation continues.

” We are also looking at community policing as one of the methods that may be adopted

“I am sure you heard the IG (Inspector General) talking about recruiting police locally, especially from the local government areas, that is, those who understand the languages and the culture of the people.

“We are confident that all these will work to curb the insecurity challenges we are currently facing,” Osinbajo said.

Earlier In his remarks, Oyetola had lauded the Federal Government’s move in tackling the security challenges in the state.

He said: “On behalf of the government and people of the state, we appreciate the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for being pro-active and for showing interest in the security of our people in the state and in the South West.

“There can be no better time to demonstrate the love and support for the state than now that it is striving to retain its profile as one of the most peaceful states in the country.

“Our ‘most peaceful state’ status changed this year due to the raging security situation in some parts of the country which spilled over to the state.”

The governor attributed the security crisis to the invasion of some criminal elements in the mining sites in the state.

He commended the South-West governors, heads of security agencies and the traditional rulers for their support.

Also speaking with newsmen after the meeting, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, commended the Federal Government for the various programmes it had put in place to address the security challenges across the country.

Ogunwusi said that the neighbourhood programme as well as community policing being considered by the Federal Government would go a long way in tackling the menace of insecurity in the South-West zone.

The monarch said the Federal Government had also promised to increase security presence in the region and also provide air surveillance to monitor all the forests in the zone.

He expressed the traditional rulers’ readiness to partner with the Federal Government to put an end to insecurity in the zone and in the country at large.