Aare Gani Adams and CP Ngozi Onedeko

Iba Gani Adams, Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, has advised the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to redeploy the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko. The reasons, according to Adams, are that the Oyo State is too hot for a “gentle cop” and that the senior cop behaves like an interested party in a conflict “playing politics with sensitive security issues”

Adams, in a statement he released through his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said: “Last week, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, had expressed concern at the spate of insecurity in the state.

“Kabiesi lamented that over 70 per cent of farmers in Oke Ogun, Ibarapa and its environs could no longer go to their farms because of the fear of being kidnapped and killed by bandits and criminal Fulani herdsmen.

“From what Kabiesi had said, it is no doubt that there is impending danger lurking around the state.

“If farmers couldn’t go to their farms, then there would be famine and shortage of food in the state.

“Oyo State is central to the progress and development of the South West.

“The state is blessed with 33 local governments and a landmass of about two states put together.

“So, such terrible situation will definitely affect the whole of the South West.

“For instance, there was a report where kidnappers almost killed a teacher in Ibarapa.

“The teacher lost his hands to the criminal herdsmen.

“Therefore, I am appealing to IGP Adamu and the Police Service Commission to redeploy the Oyo CP, who, according to my finding, is too slow and biased, especially on sensitive security issues.”

He said: “I want to also urge the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to cooperate with the IGP in ensuring that the state is safe for all and sundry because from the reports at my disposal, kidnappers are now returning to Ibarapa because they know that with such a gentle cop as Commissioner, they can easily get away with any crime committed in the state.

“What becomes of the police when people cannot trust them as an institution?

“It is unfortunate for the police to accuse the three members of our group of murder and arson after they had assisted them in apprehending Iskilu Wakili, a notorious Kidnap warlord that had been terrorising the people of Ibarapa and its environ. (He was referring to these OPC men, Awodele Adedigba, Dauda Kazeem and Hassan Ramon, who were arrested and detained on a six-count charge, including conspiracy, arson and murder.)

“With the present situation in the country and Oyo State in particular, people would to be discouraged most times when things like these happen because there is no way organisations like ours that have the capacity to assist the police in ensuring effective security will continue without giving it a thought.

“But, we wouldn’t be discouraged in our effort.

“We will continue to  play our roles in ensuring that our region is safe against criminal elements.”