Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has tasked traditional rulers and community leaders in the State to collaborate with security agencies to ensure adequate security of lives and properties in their domain.
The governor gave the charge Friday during a security stakeholders meeting with traditional rulers and heads of all security agencies in the state.
According to the governor, the meeting became necessary in the face of security challenges facing the state, especially from the border towns of the state.
Dr Fayemi, who said the issue of security challenges is not unique to Ekiti alone, disclosed that he was already working with governors of neighbouring states of Ondo, Osun and Kogi to ensure adequate combing of the areas.
According to a statement made available to journalists by the Chief Press secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, the meeting was geared towards driving the agenda of the state’s security and safety strategy.
The governor charged the traditional rulers to monitor and interrogate any new face they found in their domain and possibly report them immediately to security operatives in their areas.
Dr Fayemi, while assuring that his administration will not relent in his efforts of providing adequate protection of lives and properties to the people said he had beefed up security on the Efon-Alaaye axis of the state by increasing the number of soldiers manning the area hoping that same will soon be done in the other borders with other states.
He warned individuals shielding criminals to desist from the act forthwith or face the full wrath of the law adding that it is imperative for both individuals and traditional council to cooperate with security operatives by supplying timely and useful information about criminals hiding in their communities.
Fayemi assured the traditional rulers that his administration will collaborate with the local communities to ensure adequate security adding that issue of security is not for government alone.
According to the governor “We have decided to call every single traditional ruler who presides over our communities that are on the boundaries of Ekiti state, our border communities with other states, and I thought in finding a long lasting solution, it would be good to have them drive the agenda of our security and safety strategy. The security chiefs and I have met repeatedly including last week after the incident that happened along Efon – Iwaraja axis where some of our citizens were kidnapped, fortunately they were released after a couple of days.
“But we then decided that we needed a stronger method, but this stronger measure cannot just be purely security measure, we still need a traditional community response because the intelligence we got after the Iwaraja incidence is very disturbing. We’ve always wondered how these things happen without us having either advance notice or having information that are accurate enough for us to tackle it.
“ Because all of us know if a stranger comes to anywhere in Ekiti, within one hour, the Kabiyesi, the chiefs or the community heads would know. Some communities of course are larger but the local intelligence would pick up information about any untoward activity taken place and if this has not happened, then we all have a lot more to do.
We have to use methods that are effective. In some states, they’ve resulted to extreme methods, I hope we won’t have to get there. In some states, if they find a kidnapper in any house in any community, they demolish the house before they even ask question. Anybody who is found harbouring a kidnapper, a bandit or a criminal of any sort in their residence are not just going to be held liable, they may lose their property in such places. Like I said I don’t want to go the extra-legal route but I would like to learn from the experience of our royal fathers.”
Dr Fayemi, who said the issue of security challenges is not unique to Ekiti alone, disclosed that he was already working with governors of border states of Ondo, Osun and Kogi to ensure adequate combing of the areas.