The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, on Friday, again lamented the recent surge in the cases of kidnappings, murder, hoodlum attacks and other violent crimes in the state as against what was the situation in other five states in the South-West region.
APC, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, in Ibadan, attributed the ugly development to Governor Seyi Makinde’s penchant for lip service, unhealthy politicking and showmanship.
The party expressed regrets that Makinde, who is constitutionally regarded as the Chief Security Officer of the state, seemed not to appreciate the fact human life and freedom cannot be made a tool of politicking as he has been caught shifting the blame on the Federal Government while abdicating his own responsibility.
The PUNCH reports that scores of teachers and students were abducted during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, penultimate Friday.
Meanwhile, Makinde on Thursday, again expressed deep concern over the abduction of teachers and students in those schools, lamenting that, “This is a very tough period for me as a person and also for our state.”
The governor, who gave this advice during the Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly primaries organised by the Allied Peoples Movement, in Ibadan, therefore, admonished the Federal Government to empower the state Houses of Assembly to facilitate the creation of state police, rather than placing the responsibility in the hands of the Inspector-General of Police.
Oyo APC, in a statement in Ibadan, on Friday, said, “We have said on several occasions that window dressing and populism cannot help in the building and sustaining security architecture.
“The current administration started, on a bad note in 2019, with the disengagement of some critical stakeholders from the joint security activities in the state and up till the present moment, the traditional rulers and other relevant institutions are being left out while priority was on the purchase of pleasure cars, at exorbitant cost, for some security agencies.
“He (Makinde) paid almost N8billions for the procurement of surveillance aircrafts but nothing has been seen since July, 2025 while bandits and other criminal elements torment residents of the state . The same Makinde admiration equipped Mukaila Auxiliary and his army of political thugs with lethal weapons for the purpose of witch-hunting the opposition elements and residents but today, the whole world knows the results of this action.
“Makinde keyed into the idea of South-West Security Network but available reports indicate that able-bodied men recruited into Oyo Amotekun Corps were the worst treated by the government. No good salary, no welfare package, no insurance or retirement plans while most of them (Amotekun Corps) are deployed to wrong places where they serve the interest of those in power and their friends only.”
The party added, “Also annoying was the statement credited to Governor Makinde on Thursday regarding the need for the establishment of State Police. It is on record that the Oyo Governor was among those people who frustrated the efforts when it was first conceived. 16 governors submitted a memorandum on proposed modalities for the creation of state police in March, 2024 at the request of the Federal Government but 20 delayed their submissions but it was only one governor (Makinde) who called the exercise a waste of time.
“Among those who did not submit their memorandum was Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo and a few days after that, he was on Channels TV where he was quoted as saying; “I did not submit any memorandum to the State Police. But my position is very clear about State Police. I see it, quite frankly, as a waste of our time.” Regrettably, Makinde now wants to shift the blame on the Presidency even he has never been denied the monthly payment of Security Votes which runs into billion of naira. Makinde should sit up and rescue all abductees immediately.”
