Treat as criminals those stoking ethnic tension, Makinde tells Oyo CP

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has asked the new Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, to arrest and treat those igniting ethnic tension in the state as criminals.

Makinde, who said this on Friday when Onadeko paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Secretariat, Ibadan, added that attempt to fuel security tension under any guise that would threaten the corporate vision of Nigeria would not be tolerated by his administration.

The governor’s comments comes as palpable tension gripped residents of Igangan, Ayete in Ibarapa North Council as a self-acclaimed Yoruba freedom fighter, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Igboho, remained adamant on the eviction order he gave to kidnappers masquerading as Fulani herders in the area.

Makinde said his government was not against any ethic group, but was determined to flushing out criminal elements anywhere in the state, stressing that the Hausa/Fulani ethnic group residing in the state was not his government’s target, but hoodlums and bandits, irrespective of their tribes and religion.

“For people stoking ethnic tension, they are criminals and once you get them, they should be arrested and treated like common criminals.

“For this administration, the major pillar for us is security, because we know that all the good things we want to do economically won’t be possible in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity.”

Makinde promised to give maximum support to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and other security agencies to ensure safety of lives, property and economic prosperity of the state and called for more synergy between the Police and the Western Nigeria Security Network, code-named Amotekun.

He welcomed the new Police boss and assured her of his support in tackling insecurity in the state.

In her remark, Onadeko pledged to make lives and property of residents of the state safe and secure, saying visibility policing had started in earnest.

She assured the governor that men and officers of the Command would display high level of professionalism and shun corruption, with the view to achieving common goal and pleaded with the governor to assist the Command with operational vehicles.