INSECURITY: Yoruba monarch wants FG to give traditional rulers security votes

A Yoruba monarch, Oluwo of Iwoland in Osun State, Adbulrasheed Akanbi, has advised that security votes be allocated to traditional rulers across the country in order to end worsening insecurity in Nigeria.

He told newsmen in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Monday that the Federal Government has to do this to end activities of terrorist, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements threatening the security of the country, because traditional rulers are closer to the grassroots and are privy to the intelligence needed to curb crimes in their communities.

He noted that “underfunded and understaffed” the Nigerian Police cannot efficiently secure citizens without collaboration with traditional rulers.

He said, “Traditional rulers should be empowered to domesticate security at the grassroots which constitutes higher percent of the hideouts for kidnappers. Co-opting monarchs will unavoidably decimate security threat.

“But traditional institution should be given security vote to engage local hunters, vigilante, the Agbekoyas, trusted local Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), among others. In my own capacity, I am trying my utmost best in my domain but the institution I represent deserves security funding to act more.

“I have personally arrested a criminal in my domain and handed him over to the police. I know the nooks and crannies of my city. No criminal can survive with illegality here. I have instilled the fear in them and this has decimated atrocities in Iwo. I am ready to do more if empowered by engaging trusted local security details.

“The police saddled with this primary responsibility is underfunded and under staffed. Nigeria of over 200 million populations is parading about 300,000 policemen. The police should be equipped with modern tools and should be paid good salaries and as well be assured of job security to motivate them for maximal performance.

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“Government should provide surveillance helicopters to aid technical detective assignments by the police, most especially when searching kidnappers’ hideouts.”

Issues of insecurity plaguing Nigeria appear to be heightening in recent times. Criminal activities of terrorist Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers, killer herdsmen, and growing evils of youth cultism all pose serious threats to the security of Nigeria citizens.

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