The Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has said that the various criminal activities of kidnapping, bombing and assault on the people in some parts of the country which are being referred to as banditry must be appropriately addressed as terrorism.
This is as he stated that the infiltration of the country’s borders and burning down of railway are activities that must be addressed as terrorism and the perpetrators treated as same.
Akeredolu stated this at the 27th Nigerian Economic Summit held in Abuja with the theme: “Securing Our Future: The Fierce Urgency of Now.”
This was disclosed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde in a statement titled, ‘Stop branding terrorism as banditry, Akeredolu warns.’
“While lamenting that the dimension of insecurity in the country recently has been surprising, the Governor said he has always believed in multi-level policing as the best way of securing the nation.”
The statement quoted the Governor as saying, “In Ondo State, we don’t have terrorism. Our problem is farmer/herder clashes and kidnap for ransom. We have drug abuse and agitation for self determination. We have always preached the multi-level policing in Ondo State. We believe in layers of security.”
The Governor stated that criminal trespasses can be tackled by the state, stressing that before the Amotekun corps was established, the Police were not always ready to make arrest.
“Yes, you have trespass. Criminal trespass on other people’s land or farm. It falls within the purview of matters that should be treated by the state. But, all we had before Amotekun was a police system that had the duty to arrest and was not prepared to make an arrest. Things are changing and have really changed in Ondo state.
“Today, if you trespass on other people’s land or farm, the Amotekun will go after you and arrest you. They pay compensations to the farmers and when they fail they are in court. It is the only way you can send signals to the people.
“When you commit a crime and the hands of law doesn’t catch up with you, another person will repeat it. I can assure you that when you do not have an effective policing system, there is little or nothing a Governor can do. And the criminal trial is taking too long,” Akeredolu said.
He went on to speak against nomadic pastoralist which he described as a culture that must be discouraged in the interest of those involved.
