The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, has urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to redeploy the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, saying the state was too volatile for such a “gentle cop”.
Iba Adams also accused the Oyo State police boss of playing politics with sensitive security issues, adding that increasing rate of crimes perpetrated daily in the state can only be curbed by somebody that understands the terrain and the technicalities of security related issues.
Adams, in a statement on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, also blamed the Oyo State CP for her roles in the protracted detention of the three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress that handed over the notorious kidnap warlord, Abdullah Iskilu Wakili, to the police.
The Yoruba generalissimo also flayed the police over the murder and arson charges raised against the trio, maintaining that such cases are capable of destroying the trust reposed in the police.
Iba Adams pointed out that he would seek justice against the unjust arrest, arraignment and charges of arson and murder for the trio.
He said: “Last week, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, had expressed concern at the spate of insecurity in the state.
“Kabiesi lamented that over 70 per cent of farmers in Oke Ogun, Ibarapa and its environs could no longer go to their farms because of the fear of being kidnapped and killed by bandits and criminal Fulani herdsmen.
“From what Kabiesi had said, it is no doubt that there is impending danger lurking around the state.
“If farmers couldn’t go to their farms, then there would be famine and shortage of food in the state.
“Oyo State is central to the progress and development of the South West.
“The state is blessed with 33 local governments and a landmass of about two states put together.
“So, such terrible situation will definitely affect the whole of the South West.
“For instance, there was a report where kidnappers almost killed a teacher in Ibarapa.
“The teacher lost his hands to the criminal herdsmen.
“Therefore, I am appealing to IGP Adamu and the Police Service Commission to redeploy the Oyo CP, who, according to my finding, is too slow and biased, especially on sensitive security issues.”
Adams, however, raised the alarm that Onadeko had released many of the kidnappers apprehended by the OPC and other local security operatives and they have returned to their base to perpetrate more crimes.
He said: “I want to also urge the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to cooperate with the IGP in ensuring that the state is safe for all and sundry because from the reports at my disposal, kidnappers are now returning to Ibarapa because they know that with such a gentle cop as Commissioner, they can easily get away with any crime committed in the state.
“What becomes of the police when people cannot trust them as an institution?
“It is unfortunate for the police to accuse the three members of our group of murder and arson after they had assisted them in apprehending Iskilu Wakili, a notorious Kidnap warlord that had been terrorising the people of Ibarapa and its environ.
“With the present situation in the country and Oyo State in particular, people would to be discouraged most times when things like these happen because there is no way organisations like ours that have the capacity to assist the police in ensuring effective security will continue without giving it a thought.
“But, we wouldn’t be discouraged in our effort.
“We will continue to play our roles in ensuring that our region is safe against criminal elements.”
Recall that the three members of the OPC: Awodele Adedigba, Dauda Kazeem and Hassan Ramon, had since been in detention on a six-count charge, including conspiracy, arson and murder.
