Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, visited the scene of the massacre three days after approximately fifteen residents of Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State were killed.
Makinde, who bemoaned the level of devastation in the community, urged the Federal Government to allow governors in the South-West to arm the Amotekun Corps with sophisticated weapons such as the AK-47 in order to combat rising insecurity, particularly banditry and kidnapping, in the geo-political zone.
SaharaReporters previously reported that a group of about 100 gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, invaded the Igangan community, killing and burning residents.
Makinde made the revelation during his keynote address at the start of the two-day 2021 Governor Seyi Makinde National Democracy Summit, which was held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, with the theme: ‘The Future of Democracy in Nigeria.’
The governor, who said he accepted responsibility for the incident, expressed frustration with the difficulties faced by governors who are referred to as the chief security officers of their states but lack the necessary authority.
“With what happened at Igangan, the people can hold me accountable for letting them down, and when I go there, I will take responsibility because those killings were completely unnecessary,” he said. Even though I continue to bear responsibility for Oyo State’s security situation, we all know that the Commissioner of Police must wait for orders from “above” before taking specific actions to benefit the local population.
“So, in terms of federal security agencies here in Oyo State, they must obtain clearance from the federal government.” We will keep doing our best. We were able to kickstart Amotekun here in the South West. Even with Amotekun, people are curious about how the killings occurred. Were they not present? However, there are several restrictions on what Amotekun can do and even the firearms they can carry.
“With what happened at Igangan, the people can hold me accountable for letting them down, and when I go there, I will take responsibility because those killings were completely unnecessary,” he said. Even though I continue to bear responsibility for Oyo State’s security situation, we all know that the Commissioner of Police must wait for orders from “above” before taking specific actions to benefit the local population.
“You have Danish guns, and you’re up against people carrying AK-47s.” If it comes to investment, if we are given the go-ahead, I will also purchase AK-47s for Amotekun.”
“State policing is a sure cure for our country’s development problems.” Anyone who has worked in security at any level will tell you that policing is a local affair. The fact that members of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, are drawn from the locality is one of the reasons for the corps’s success. They are familiar with the terrain and can thus gather necessary intelligence. They can also be held accountable by the locals because they are familiar with them.
“As a result, when state governors take over as the actual chief security officers in charge of the security personnel in their states, they will be able to respond quickly to security challenges.”
Makinde went on to say, “We are the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but our federalism exists only in name.” Political historians will tell you that what we’ve been practicing is a unitary system of government, in which more power is concentrated in the central government. Another thing our political theorists will tell you is that a unitary system of government is better suited to small countries by nature.
“Nigeria is a large country. As a result, it is simple to understand why we are experiencing developmental challenges across the board. We’re attempting to cram a square peg into a round hole. In order for true federalism to thrive, the federating units should be given more powers and autonomy. The central government acts as a coordinator of assets but does not wield as much power.”
Former Edo State governor, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor; formekr Minister of State for Agriculture, Otunba Bamidele Dada; Director General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof Eghosa Osaghae; President of Apex Yoruba self-determination group, Prof Banji Akintoye; and Secretary-General, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr. Kunle Olaji attended the summit.
