Gov. Abiodun steps up fight against ‘yahoo boys’, launches OP-MESA

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that the State would establish its own financial crimes agency to help fight the spate of financial fraud in the State.

Abiodun, who made the disclosure in Abeokuta, the State capital, during the launch of the state joint security outfit, code-named OP-MESA, noted that the State financial Commission will collaborate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in the dispensation of its duties.

He vowed that he will never allow financial scammers, popularly known as Yahoo boys, to take over the State.

The Governor said: “We will make Ogun State uninhabitable for all criminals. The other day, I was in a meeting in Abuja and in attendance was the Chairman of EFCC, and sadly, he said to me that Ogun State tops the list on the ‘Yahoo Yahoo Boys’. In my response, I said I am not surprised because Ogun State is the education capital of this country and you will find such educational institutions around and he agreed with me.

“We have decided that we will set up our State Commission that will be targeted towards eliminating these sorts of financial crimes. Our state commission will collaborate with the Federal commission so that we do not occupy that false place in this area. We like to occupy the first in many areas, but not in fraud and yahoo yahoo.

“Three days ago, I put a call through to my colleague in Oyo and we have decided that we are going to jointly collaborate in the area of providing security at the border posts between the two states.

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“He has decided that he will lead a team of his law enforcement architecture to the State, so that we can have a meeting of like minds and plan the way forward to take out these hoodlums. Ogun will not be a hiding place for criminals.

“Today, we are launching OPMESA with a few pieces of equipment, in the first instance. We are providing them with fifteen pickup trucks, communication equipment, two armoured personnel carriers. We will be providing them with this support every quarter, meaning that, in the next quarter, we give them another fifteen vehicles, another quarter, another fifteen vehicles until we reach the number that they require.

“I, therefore, enjoin our people to take ownership of this security outfit by collaborating with it and supporting it. Together, we shall make Ogun State a most hospitable and conducive place of our collective dreams.”

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