The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has reiterated his position that state police was the panacea to the current security challenges facing the country.
The governor condemned the attack on the convoy of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) by bandits in Katsina State on Tuesday, describing it as daring.
He spoke on Wednesday while playing host to his former schoolmates at Loyola College Ibadan (1968/1972) set in his office, Alagbaka Akure, the state capital.
According to the governor, the security situation in the country had gone from bad to worse.
He noted that the country’s security challenges had gone beyond Fulani herdsmen to the menace of bandits and ISWAP.
He said, “We governors in the South-West met and we are still more than convinced that there is no solution other than state police. The truth is that we will be prepared to protect ourselves and die in the process more than other people from outside. We can only protect ourselves better.
“We will be more committed to protecting ourselves. By the time we have state police, we will be encouraged to recruit people in a local government to work in that local government as security (personnel).
“For me, state police is not for self-aggrandizement, it is a reality of the time. For us in the South and even in the North, I know so many of them that have come to accept that a single command of police is not good for this country. This country is too big.
“We will continue to make our voice heard everywhere. We are almost there. We are licking our wounds here over the June 5 attack in Owo. It is a serious wound. We will never forget. We are putting together a memorial in a conspicuous place in Owo.”
Earlier, the Acting President of the Loyola College Old Boys’Association (1968/1972) set, Mr Ayodele Adigun condemned the June 5 attack in Owo, expressing shock that such a heinous crime could be carried out in the South- West.
He said the attack was particularly aimed at tarnishing the image of the governor and rubbish his efforts so far, especially on the security of lives and property of the people.
