The Oyo State Security Council has issued a strong warning to illegal miners, bandits, and other criminals operating within the state, vowing to enforce the full extent of the law against them.
The warning was issued at the conclusion of an expanded Security Council meeting presided over by Governor Seyi Makinde in Ibadan on Thursday. The meeting, the first of its kind this year, included key stakeholders such as members of the State Executive Council, security chiefs, traditional leaders, and all 33 local government chairmen.
Mr Fatai Owoseni (Rtd), Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on Security Matters, stated that the meeting was held to comprehensively assess the state’s security situation through feedback from various leadership levels. He urged residents to take security matters seriously and assured them of prompt responses to their concerns, encouraging them to utilize the toll-free emergency number 615.
Commissioner of Police, Johnson Adenola, emphasized that the council resolved against stereotyping individuals or criminality based on ethnicity, affirming every Nigerian’s right to reside peacefully in any part of the country. He specifically addressed illegal miners, stating they must obtain proper licenses to operate in the state.
The government also plans to address boundary disputes to foster peaceful coexistence and will convene a meeting after Ramadan to resolve pending issues. Residents are urged not to take the law into their own hands.
Furthermore, the council issued a stern warning to bandits, cultists, and other criminally-minded individuals, stating that they would face the full force of the law.
Traditional rulers, represented by the Olu of Igboora, Oba Jimoh Olajide Titiloye, pledged their support to security operatives within their domains and praised Governor Makinde for including them in the expanded Joint Security Council.
Sikiru Sanda, Chairman of the Association of Oyo State Local Government Chairmen, assured the state government of the support of all council chairmen in making Oyo State safer.
Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Abiodun Aikomo, reiterated Governor Makinde’s commitment to enforcing the rule of law and highlighted the continued enforcement of the Executive Order on the Protection of Mining Communities against Insecurity and Exploitation, signed in 2023.
