Following the invasion of Oyo State by some Yoruba Nation agitators on Saturday, government and security agencies in the South-West states have beefed up security around government structures and institutions, with machinery put in place to forestall the breakdown of law and order by any group forcing an agenda on the states.
According to The PUNCH, the agitators, donning army camouflage and armed with rifles, attempted to hoist their flag on the premises of the Oyo State House of Assembly.
The attempt was foiled by security agencies with 20 of the agitators arrested.
The PUNCH reports that Saturday’s invasion of the Oyo Government Secretariat sent panic to the residents and road users, especially around Customs, Ikolaba, Awolowo and many other areas within the Ibadan metropolis.
On Sunday, the governments of Osun, Ekiti and Ogun state hinted that they had put security measures in place to forestall a repeat of the Ibadan experience in their domains.
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in a statement on Sunday, said he had directed reinforcement of security around government structures in the state to frustrate any plan to disrupt public peace by suspected Yoruba Nation activists.
Adeleke said he had directed his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Mr Samuel Ojo, “to ensure immediate mobilisation of joint security teams to secure the secretariat, the Government House and other strategic government buildings, including the headquarters of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation.”
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said, “In line with the governor’s directive, security men and women were deployed to identified locations to ensure the Oyo State incident is not repeated in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
Also, the spokesman for the Osun State, Yemisi Opalola said, “We are aware of the incident and it sent a signal to us. We are prepared to ensure peace across Osun State. We urge people not to engage in any act of lawlessness as police will not tolerate that from anyone no matter the status.”
Also in Ekiti State, the government said it had put in place machinery that would ensure maintenance of law and order at all times.
The state Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said that the security apparatus in the state had also been well-equipped to curtail any form of insecurity, in addition to the fact that residents were not reckless.
He said, “We are under a federating unit and we have every democratic structure in place to manage the affairs. I know that our people in Ekiti will not engage in such recklessness by any pressure group or individual. Our government has done everything to ensure that we maintain law and order here.
“Every security apparatus is well-equipped to curtail any form of insecurity here. We are okay, we are educated, we are civilised and people are respected within the provision of the constitution of Nigeria to express their opinion without any form of violation or crisis.”
Also speaking, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeniran Akinwale, said there was no need for anybody in the state to entertain any fear over what happened in Oyo State.
Akinwale said, “We (police) are fully on the ground. There is no cause for alarm. No need for people to panic, we are monitoring situations and by the special grace of God, there won’t be any problem.”
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Security, AIG Olusola Subair (retd.), said that Ogun State had activated security measures to prevent a repeat of the Oyo experience.
Subair said, “Our (the security agencies) intelligence gathering mechanism has been activated and there is a manhunt for everyone known to be associated with this group or those that are on the run after their failed attempt at Agodi in Ibadan.
Also, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, warned that the command would not fold its arms and allow any misguided individual or miscreants to obstruct the reign of peace and orderliness in the country.
Alamutu said “We are already aware of their subtle threat before now, but since they have decided to go violent, the police won’t take kindly such illegality.
“The state police command is on the ground; we are monitoring them and all the DPOs have been briefed to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order anywhere across the state.”
In the same vein, the spokesman for the Ondo State Police Command, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said “We have never relaxed on duty. We are always ready to provide adequate security in the state. Nothing of such can happen in Ondo State.”
Similarly, the Commander of the State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, said the corps had deployed its men in the areas where government assets are located.
He said, “Immediately we heard of the incident in Oyo State, we quickly deployed our men to where we have critical government assets across the state.
“Such can’t happen here, we are always ready. We will always protect the lives and property of the people of this state.”
