Lawmakers of the Oyo State House of Assembly have expressed worry at the increase in incidences of robbery, gang violence, looting of shops, killing, vandalisation of property and other criminal acts, across the state.
The members raised this concern while contributing to a Matter of Urgent Public Importance raised at Tuesday’s plenary by Chairman, House Committee on Security, Honourable Akeem Obadara.
In what he described as a terrible Monday night, Obadara reported that hoodlums exchanged bullets, looted shops, took over the streets at Idikan, Iyana Ayeye and Agbede Adodo in Ibadan.
He particularly noted that the resurgence in unleashing mayhem, the exhibition of gang violence, criminality came in the wake of #EndSARS protests.
While pointing to efforts of officers of the state joint task force, known as Operation Burst, to combat crime, Obadara urged the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Joe Nwachukwu, to, as a matter of urgency, deploy police officers to arrest the trend of criminality in the affected areas.
He bemoaned that the police seemed not to have fully returned to duties, after the #EndSARS protests, urging them to come back to their duty posts.
Furthermore, Obadara urged the executive arm of government, through the State Emergency Management Authority (SEMA) to come to the aid of victims of robberies and gang violence in the mentioned areas.
Obadara’s presentation spurred other members of the Assembly to recount growing incidences of crimes and criminalities across the state, in recent times.
Presenting the situation in his constituency, Honourable Babajide Adebayo, representing Ibadan North 2, reported that robberies were recorded in the past two days in Agbowo area of Ibadan, with no fewer than three persons presently hospitalized.
He urged the police to return to their duty posts to arrest the trend of criminality.
Contributing, Minority Leader, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape decried that hoodlums were taking advantage of the lack of presence of the police to perpetrate crime.
He also pointed called for more provision of vehicles for the Operation Burst for the unit to efficiently cover the state.
Alarape also bemoaned porous borders in the state warning that the absence of Customs at borders had grave consequences for security in the state.
Honourable Dele Adeola representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju constituency also noted that Iseyin was still grappling with the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests with banks remaining closed.
To secure banks, Adeola said vigilante had been hired with the police not curtailing incidences of looting of property on Iseyin.
The lawmaker representing Oyo East/Oyo West constituency, Honourable Isiaka Kazeem identified the need for relevant stakeholders to build the confidence of the police for them to fully return to work.
Kazeem urged the state assembly to write the police authorities to ask their men to return to ensure a safe environment.
Noting various security threats in Oke Ogun area of the state, member representing Irepo/Olorunsogo constituency, Honourable Kazeem Olayanju also asked that security is urgently needed to be beefed up around old Oyo National Park Forest Reserve along Igboho-Kisi-Igbeti road.
Noting the notoriety of his area, Honourable Yusuf Adebisi representing Ibadan South West 1 urged lawmakers to speak with their constituents to shun crime.
Meanwhile, Tuesday’s plenary saw the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters mandated to examine a letter from the forum of local government chairmen in Oyo State seeking that the issue of the 13 suspended caretaker chairmen be reexamined.
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