Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has urged the O’dua Peoples Congress (OPC) and vigilante groups to support security agencies to rid the state of kidnappers and other criminal elements.
Although the state government has ordered the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to flush criminals out of the state, Fayemi said the OPC and the vigilante groups could also help in tackling criminal activities in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant on Mobilisation to the Governor, Tunji Ogunlola, who represented the governor at a meeting with security groups in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, said his government was not comfortable with the kidnapping and killing of people in the state.
Fayemi said, “(It requires) all hands on deck to put those with criminal tendencies at bay to safeguard the lives and property of the residents of the state.”
Fayemi on Friday appointed a retired general, Ebenezer Ogundana, as Special Adviser on Security Matter and Coordinator of the Rapid Response Squad.
The governor urged the public to cooperate with security agencies by informing them about any suspicious movement or activities in their areas.
Traditional rulers on Tuesday called for roles for hunters and vigilance groups in a bid to stop kidnapping and insecurity in the state.
Fayemi said the administration would not allow criminals to hijack the system and destabilise the state.
He said, “We are seeking the efforts of every member of the society to tackle these evil doers. Within two weeks, over five people were kidnapped while one person was shot dead. We won’t rest until these people are apprehended.
“To show how committed we are to making Ekiti safe, we have reinstated the sacked operatives of the scrapped Ekiti State Peace Corps. We intend to recruit 800 operatives to work with the police in every community.
“The OPC as a respectable pan-Yoruba security group is also welcomed in the battle to make Ekiti safe.
“However, in doing our business, we need to be guided by the laws. We need to bow to a superior directive from the police and take the law into their own hands. All we want is you being partners in progress because Ekiti must be safe and nothing must be spared to actualise this.”
