The Osun State Government has said it will engage the services of vigilante groups and local hunters to provide security for the residents.
Speaking on Saturday on the sidelines of the installation of the immediate past Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Dr Najeem Salaam, as the Oluomo of Ejigbo, the Deputy Governor of the state, Gboyega Alabi, said the state government would do everything legitimate to protect the people.
Alabi said the government had been engaging members of vigilante groups and local hunters in regular meetings before the recent rise in highway crimes in the state.
He warned against the use of social media to create panic, saying the security situation in the state was being hyped on the Internet.
“Not that the security situation in the state is that bad, but we are being proactive to ensure that it does not escalate beyond our capacity; that was why the governor went to the Chief of Army Staff,” Alabi said.
He gave an assurance that major stakeholders would be involved in an all-encompassing security strategy that the state government was planning to introduce to tackle crimes.
The lawmaker representing Osun West in the Senate, Senator Adelere Oriolowo, said local vigilante groups had been put on alert to provide security across the state.
He urged residents to be vigilant and keep close watch on movements around the state in order to prevent infiltration by bad elements.
Salaam, in his remarks, called for the cooperation of the residents to guarantee maximum security, adding that with good security, the state would experience more development.
