Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland and National Co-ordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Iba Gani Adams, has called on President Bola Tinubu to decentralise the country’s security system to address challenges.
Adams made the call in a statement issued by his Special Media Assistant, Mr Olawunmi Ojo, on Thursday, in Lagos.
He was reacting to the recent killings in Benue, Plateau and other parts of the country.
He said the recent violent attacks in Benue,which resulted in loss of many innocent lives ,property, and displacement of communities, were condemnable.
“Recurring killings have now gotten to a stage that demand sustained and multifaceted responses from the Federal Government to restore peace, protect citizens, and promote reconciliation and development in the troubled areas.
“I have been at fore of the clamour for restructuring of Nigeria and part of the content of restructuring is the decentralisation of Nigerian security architecture.
“If the Federal Government does not decentralise the security architecture of the country, no amount of prayers would save us from the unnecessary embarrassment of insecurity.
“The time for a decentralised security system that would allow for federal, state and local government police, is now.
“This is the only way to stop such mindless killings going on in Benue, and other such places, where lives are taken out mindlessly by non-state actors and other marauders,” Adams said.
He noted that insecurity is a stain on the country’s image and a barrier to foreign investments.
“This would keep affecting our image and economy negatively,” he added.
The OPC leader said the recurring security challenges in Benue and other states like Plateau and Taraba stemmed from a complex interplay of root causes.
He listed some of the causes as communal disputes, weak security and law enforcement, proliferation of arms and armed groups, political and governance challenges, and socio-economic factors, such as poverty and unemployment.
Adams said that the recurring killings continue to undermine peace, stability and development in the affected states and beyond.
According to him, the violence violates the fundamental right to life, guaranteed under Section 33 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
He said that it also threatens the social fabric and economic wellbeing of the affected communities.
“It is also a threat to the peace, security, and unity of our nation.
“The violence disrupts agricultural activities, which are the mainstay of the local economies, thereby exacerbating poverty and food insecurity,” he added.
Adams urged government to always act on intelligence reports in order to tame the activities of criminals and terrorists in different parts of the country.
According to him, several communities in the South West are also battling with a number of security threats such as kidnapping and murderous activities of criminal herders .
He said that his office had written to state governments in the region on the need for synergy with the Southwest Security Stakeholders Group, which he leads
Adams said the group comprises 14 private security groups, with capacity to combat the security threats in the region.
