The apex Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere had lamented insecurity in the country and is asking President Bola Tinubu to invoke an executive order to create state and local government police.
In a statement on Saturday, the group’s spokesman Ajayi said the move followed increased reports of banditry and kidnapping in Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Zamfara, and Niger states.
“There are indications that President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is desirous of putting an end to this deleterious menace. Towards the end of January this year, he approved the procurement of digital tracking tools to enhance the apprehension of bandits, terrorists, and armed robbers,” the statement read.
“On Monday, April 22, this year, he used the occasion of addressing participants at the African Counter-Terrorism Summit which opened on that day in Abuja to assure everyone of his government’s readiness to ensure greater security. Unfortunately, recent happenings have not shown that the President’s desire in this respect is being worked upon.
“Afenifere urged President Tinubu to get state and local government police off the ground immediately through the invocation of an Executive Order while the process of amending the Constitution continues. Close circuit television sets, deployment of modern technology for security purposes including drones must be effected immediately.”
The group also called for the probing of the motivation behind kidnapping and banditry, pinning them on economic, political, and ideological motives.
“The starting point is to probe into the motivation for kidnapping and related banditry. Three identified motives are economic, ideology and politics. Each of these has sub-strata and sometimes interlopes,” the socio-political body added.
“For instance, the economic factor of banditry could have territorial claim as an underpinning. It can also be as a result of some interests wanting to assert political superiority. These are relatively easier to deal with if the authorities and the people in the given area are committed to dealing with it.”