Call For State Police Intensifies, As Groups Lament Spate Of Kidnapping In SW

By Akinwale Kasali

The spate of insecurity in the South West of Nigeria, has, again, pushed to the front burner, the clamour for State Police by Self Determination Groups in the Region.

The Groups have thrown their weight behind the setting up of State Police, saying it is the only panacea to cases of kidnappings.

The Groups lamented the approach of South West Governors in achieving this goal, and cappealed to them  to support the cause for the establishment of State Police.

The call was made at a stakeholders’ meeting held at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, with the theme; ‘Western Nigeria Global Summit on Security and Livelihood.’

They said it was time for Governors and Local Government Chairmen to be mandated to secure their citizens “because they are the Chief Security officers of their territories, and everyone of them should be held accountable for insecurity in their areas.”

Adewale Adeoye, the Chairman of the Planning Committee said that Nigerians had always wanted to live on their own terms and not on the terms of others.

“But now many Nigerians are confronted with the challenges of living under the threats of attack, and many people are dying in their own land, and they need hope instead of despair,” he said.

He lamented that their means of survival were being threatened, and that most Yoruba lands had become terrorist havens.

In the same vein, Convener of the Summit,  Comrade Wale Oshun said the South-west had a lot of work to do in securing their people, maintaining that one of the reasons for convening the meeting was to seek an end to the senseless killings in the region.

It added that people of the region are ready to protect themselves legitimately if the Government cam allow them to do so, as the Insecurity and kidnapping in the region is no more acceptable, urging Governors of the Region to back the call for State Police.