Ibadan – The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Saturday engaged critical security stakeholders in Oyo State to find ways of curbing the activities of hoodlums and miscreants in the state capital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the security meeting was tagged, “Special Critical Stakeholders Meeting on Restoration and Ensuring Peace to the City of Ibadan and other Hotspots in Oyo State.’’
Among the stakeholders engaged in the meeting are Ibadan mogajis (traditional heads of indigenous compounds), selected community/religious leaders and heads of security agencies in Oyo State.
NAN reports that representatives of the Nigeria Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Security (DSS) were also present at the meeting.
In his welcome address, the state director of NOA, Mr Moshood Olaleye, decried the increasing spate of criminal activities being perpetrated by miscreants and hoodlums within Ibadan.
Olaleye called for collaborative efforts of the Mogajis, community and religious leaders, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
“It saddens the heart that Ibadan, which was unarguable considered one of the most peaceful city and state capital in Nigeria, is gradually becoming a safe haven for domestic terrorists, miscreants and hoodlums.
“These elements hide under the fake appellation of cultists and area gangs to unleash violence on law-abiding residents of the city.
“The menace of ‘Omo-onile’, which was previously strange to our people, is now fully in operation in Ibadan and its environs, where such hoodlums mobilise themselves to building and project construction sites to extort money under duress and threats of violence.
“This cannot be allowed to continue hence the initiative to facilitate this interface.” Olaleye said.
He said that criminals live among the people within communities and that people must support the security agencies with timely, adequate, accurate information and tips about the activities and meeting points of criminals.
Oyeleye said that doing this would make the task of achieving peace in the communities, a success.
He calledfor enforceable sanctions on landlords/house owners that failed to avail the police with information about their tenants.
According to him, house owners/landlords must always comply with the rule of ensuring that all their tenants fill police information forms attaching their photographs.
“And providing such data like names, age, gender, marital status, next of kin, etc; these information will be routinely use to do background checks on house tenants to know veracity of their claims.
Olaleye also called on wealthy Nigerians to support the Federal and state government’s efforts at keeping the youths productively engaged through investing in vocational and financial empowerment.
Also, the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, implored all the relevant stakeholders to work towards restoring enduring peace in Ibadan land.
Oba Adetunji, who was represented at the meeting by the Ekefa Olubadan, Chief Lekan Alabi, recalled that Ibadan had been living in peace and harmony for centuries without any security challenges.
The Ibadan traditional ruler attributed the rising spate of crimes in the society to poverty and unemployment,
He charged all the Mogajis of Ibadan land to step up in their efforts to checkmate activities of criminally-minded individuals in their respective domains.
NAN reports that the stakeholders issued a nine-point communiqué at the end of the meeting, urging government to review some outdated criminal laws and allow for stringent punishment that will serve as deterrent to criminally-minded citizens.
Other resolutions are that proliferation of arms should be curtailed while weapons already in the possession of criminals should be recovered.
“Politicians should desist from engaging the youths as thug; public support for the police and other security agencies is non-negotiable and critical to lasting and enduring peace in the society.
“Security agents should treat information given to them by members of the public with utmost confidentiality, to protect well-meaning citizen who give out such information, and there should be specific laws to eradicate the so-called ‘Omo onile’ menace.
“The high rate of unemployment should be addressed; mechanised farming and meaningful youths empowerment should be embraced by the three tiers of government and there should be joint security platform to raid drug hotspots across the state.
“Community policing/neighbourhood watch should be promoted; police-community relations committee should be revived and indigenous methods of curbing crimes through native science should be looked into.
Parents and school administrators should put more efforts in stemming the tide of recruitment into cult groups among students/youths; the mogajis should be recognised by government as critical stakeholders in maintaining peace in Ibadan land.
“And lastly, NOA should synergise with all stakeholders to continue to sensitise members of the public on the need for peaceful coexistence,’’ the communique read.
