The Oyo State Authorities on Monday ordered all 33 native authorities chairmen within the state, in addition to conventional rulers and headquarters, to flush out unlawful miners, bandits and land grabbers of their respective council areas.
An explosion rocked Adeyi Avenue in Previous Bodija, Ibadan on Tuesday, January 16, killing 5 folks and injuring 77 others whereas damaging 55 homes.
The state Governor, Seyi Makinde, later attributed the explosion to the actions of a suspected unlawful miner who he stated had been stockpiling explosives at his house.
The order for flushing out unlawful miners was given by the state Commissioner for Native Authorities and Chieftaincy Issues, Olusegun Olayiwola, whereas addressing journalists after a closed-door assembly with the council bosses on the ministry convention room in Ibadan, the state capital . .
He additionally warned that the federal government has a zero-tolerance coverage in direction of crime and criminality and can do all the things in its energy to make sure the security of the lives and property of its residents.
Olayiwola vowed that the federal government wouldn’t fold its arms and watch criminals take over the state thought-about one of many most secure within the nation.
He stated: “One of the vital necessary points mentioned at size immediately (Monday) is the difficulty of security of lives and property within the state. You’ll recall that about three weeks in the past there was an explosion in Bodija, Ibadan which finally turned out to be the results of unlawful actions by unlawful miners who are usually not alleged to have such horrible tools within the residential areas.
“Consequently, chairmen and girls within the 33 native authorities areas of the state had been invited to the workplace of the Commissioner for Native Authorities and Chieftaincy Issues immediately (Monday) and we determined to deal with the press on the result of the assembly.
“The safety scenario within the state may be very fluid, and consequently, the chairmen and chairmen of the native governments have determined that the three important areas that the folks and authorities of the state ought to look into are the areas of unlawful wrestle. mining, land grabbing and banditry.
“We have now been coping with the difficulty of banditry for a while now, however sadly, the difficulty of land grabbing has taken heart stage within the insecurity of lives and properties of the residents of the state. The assembly mentioned this at size immediately (Monday) and resolved that the native authorities chairmen and chairmen be instantly saddled with the accountability of taking cost of the safety posture of their native governments because the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has given . them the facility to behave because the Chief Safety Officers of their native governments.
“Consequently, we’ve determined that the unlawful miners, wherever they’re, and the chairmen of varied native governments, ought to go after them, hunt and fish for them, wherever they’re. This could simply be completed with the cooperation, assist and help of Royal Fathers and Conventional Leaders in all councils. In the event that they see one thing, they must say one thing to be able to arrest these folks.
“They need to urgently maintain an emergency assembly with the safety committees of their varied native governments and conclude that the committee will function a job power that may start the hunt for unlawful miners, land grabbers and bandits.
“The assembly had directed council bosses to mandatorily maintain a joint safety assembly of their respective councils on each final Thursday of the month from February 2024.”
He stated the result of such assembly ought to be made obtainable to the native authorities and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs earlier than the tip of every month in order that the ministry can convey the selections or findings of every of the councils to the Governor of the State , Seyi Makinde.
Citing the current suspension of the Onido of Ido, Oba Gbolagade Babalola by the state authorities over alleged hyperlinks with unlawful miners, the commissioner urged royal fathers to reveal anybody identified to have hyperlinks with unlawful miners to tell the related authority for rapid motion.
In his remarks, the State Chairman of the Affiliation of Native Governments of Nigeria, Sikiru Sanda, assured the federal government of enough safety oversight in all native governments to make the state protected not just for residents but additionally for native and international traders.
In his remarks, the Director Basic of Strong Minerals Growth Company, Abiodun Oni, urged each citizen to take safety points as their accountability and never the federal government alone.
