Insecurity: Akeredolu addresses Ondo residents, unfolds preventive measures

In a bid to tackle the insecurity challenge in Ondo State, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN has reeled out preventive measures to curb influx of criminals and criminal activities across the state.

In a statewide broadcast this evening, Governor Akeredolu warned traditional rulers against accomodating strangers to settle down in their domains, saying that any monarch found guilty would be dealt with in accordance with the law of the land.

He also noted sternly that any traditional ruler unable to contain activities of cultists in his domain would be sanctioned, and that the government won’t hesitate to impose curfew on any Community where there’s a crisis.

Governor Akeredolu who cited the instance of the crisis that erupted in Ikare Akoko, avowed that cult groups and their sponsors would be dealt with, noting that he had instructed security agents to clamp down on them and would be prosecuted.

On the OLOKOJA Chieftaincy title that caused violence in Ikare, Gov Akeredolu ordered that nobody should parade himself as Olokoja till further notice.

He warned anyone with illegal possession of firearms to submit such, or face prosecution.

According to him, security challenge is a collective business, while imploring residents to report any untoward movement in their environment, and parents/guardians to control their children/wards on the use of drugs.

He was optimistic that with the help of God and collective efforts, insecurity challenge would become a thing of the past in Ondo State.

“The different shades of insecurity have not only taken an appreciable toll on governance; our focuses as a people for our individual endeavours have been brazenly compromised and distastefully distracted.

“It is obvious that our Armed Forces and other security agencies, in spite of their patriotism and displayed zeal, appear to be overstretched if not overwhelmed by these enormous security challenges. Understandably too, our dear State like others, is encumbered for obvious reasons, in its avowed efforts to stem this ugly tide.

” The third major concern that we need to address is the abuse of the social media to propagate false and fake news. This unfortunate phenomenon is capable of stoking the embers of disunity and serious security breaches.

“The social media is almost becoming an unavoidable part of our society as its advent has democratised, deregulated and liberalised the means of news production and dissemination. Unfortunately however, it has also become a breeding ground for spreading fake news.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the issue of security is a collective business which should not be left in the hands of government alone. We must all appropriate, own and personalise it. It is my belief that with God on our side, with the required political will and your support, we will be able to put these security challenges behind us”.
Thank you all and God bless.