Insecurity: Oyo senator seeks vigilance groups’ collaboration with govt

THE lawmaker representing Oyo North Senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator AbdulFatai Buhari, has called on residents of Oyo State and indeed all Nigerians to work with government security agencies and other stakeholders to guarantee improved security, peace and harmony.

Senator Buhari made the call on Tuesday during a visit to the founder and national president of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Mr Sunday Olajide, in his residence in Durbar, Oyo town.

The lawmaker said the purpose of the visit was to seek improved synergy between the vigilance group and other stakeholders to keep the society safe from the threat of bandits and other criminal elements.

Senator Buhari, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, decried the insecurity in the country and blamed the situation on some unpatriotic individuals who, according to him, seek to profit from dastardly acts without minding the consequences.

He said: There is no reasonable and patriotic citizen of Nigeria who would be happy with the current situation in the society, particularly as it concerns the security of lives and property.

“And since those responsible for the spate of banditry, abductions, arson, ritual killings, among other heinous crimes in our society, are not ghosts but a few evil-possessed people who live in our midst, we need to look more inwardly for possible solutions.

“As it now appears that our security apparatuses have been overwhelmed, there is the urgent need for organisations like the VGN to work together with other security agencies and stakeholders to save the situation.

“It is in the realisation of the need for partnership and encouragement that I have come here today to seek an audience with you. We have seen what your members have done in the past to stem the tide of security challenges, especially in the Oke-Ogun axis of the state but we want you to redouble your efforts and use all the resources at your disposal to rescue the situation.

“As your representative in the Senate, I would work out the necessary arrangements with all the security agencies with a view to securing the required legal backing and support from the police, army, DSS, NSCDC and others. Also, we will do our best to provide material and moral support for your members who would go out there to work together with others in the task of securing society.

In his remark, the VGN president, Olajide expressed gratitude to the lawmaker whom he described as a worthy leader and friend of the masses.

According to him, Senator Buhari has always identified with the VGN and this explains why it was easy to mobilise two representatives each from all the local government areas and local council development areas in the state to have an interface with him at a short notice.

“VGN is a non-partisan, non-governmental and non-tribal/ ethnic organisation which is duly registered to provide ancillary security services in the whole of Nigeria. Despite numerous challenges that we face, we are always ready to do our best, even as we are not particularly happy about the current level of insecurity in society.

“Meanwhile, we are using this medium to assure our people that we would do more to help the police and other security agencies to fight crimes and restore peace and tranquillity in the land, Olajide said.

A highlight of the event was the handing over of two new motorcycles and cash to the leadership of the group by Senator Buhari, who also promised to engage them on the need to secure more support from other quarters to enable the group to discharge the task expected of it without much hindrance.

The Oke-Ogun axis, which covers 10 out of the 13 local government councils in Oyo North, and the Ibarapa axis in Oyo South have been in the news lately over reported cases of gruesome attacks on residents by gunmen and arsonists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

The latest incident was the midnight attacks carried out by bandits last weekend in Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area in which lives and property were destroyed.

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