Oyo Attack: Adams Calls For Decentralization of Security Apparatus

By Uche Mbah

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, Saturday, said the attack on the Oyo town correction center was a national embarrassment and underlines the need for regional security apparatus since the centralized security appears not to work.

Terrorists Friday reportedly attacked the Abolongo Correctional Centre in Oyo town.  An unspecified number of inmates at the facility escaped during the attack.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Kehinde Aderemi, Adams expressed concern that this is the first time Oyo state and the entire southwest are experiencing a jailbreak of such magnitude.

“Oyo town has never recorded such incident in its long history. Unfortunately, insecurity has triggered various types of menace across the country”, the release said.

“Following the attack on the Abuja- bound train, and the Oyo prison attack, it is certainly no doubt that the bandits are playing out a script that will later engulf the entire nation.

“It is, indeed, very ridiculous to hear such unsavory news coming from the ancient town.

“However, I want to express my concern to Kabiesi, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and the Oyo state government.

“I am also using this opportunity to urge the Inspector General of Police to look into the security situation in Oyo and address the problem most professionally.

“Oyo State is very sensitive to the southwest and we cannot continue to live in fears.

“Adams, however, restated his belief in regionalism, saying the best solution to the myriads of problems confronting the nation is to allow each component of the federating units to control the security architectures of their respective region as it was specified in the 1963 constitution.

He said: ”The idea of using only one police structure is as old as the heaven and no good nation can be secured under that arrangement.

“A country with over 200 million population, and over 300 ethnic nationalities cannot thrive and prosper under deceit and acrimony.

“The only solution to the security impasse in the country is to go back to regionalism, where each segment of the region would control the security of their respective region. The Federal Police is overstretched, let the local and state governments have their police as it is done in the developed world.

“With the present security situation in Nigeria, it is very clear that Nigeria has grown beyond having only one police structure. And until we change this old arrangement, the nation will continue to struggle to combat insurgency.”