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Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Thursday met with the Service Chiefs in Abuja to fashion out a more strategic approach to stem the current spate of insecurity in some parts of the State.
The governor’s meeting with the service chiefs came on the heels of the killing of two traditional rulers in Oke-Ako area and abduction of some school pupils and their teachers in Emure Ekiti.
Governor Oyebanji, who was at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja alongside the Chairman of Ekiti caucus at the National Assembly and Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, met with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja separately. He also met with other security chiefs.
Oyebanji, at the meetings, explained that Ekiti State had been experiencing peace for the past years, but that the peace was truncated by the security breaches that occurred some days ago.
“What makes the Ekiti situation a bit pathetic was the dimension it took. Among the Yoruba people, the traditional rulers are next to God. When you bring down two traditional rulers at once in such a gruesome manner, it sends a very dangerous signal to the entire race”, the governor lamented.
He pointed out that the abduction of school children portends a dangerous dimension, adding that such had never been experienced in the state.
The Governor who exchanged ideas with the military top hierarchy, pushed for the deployment of more military personnel to the state to burst criminal hideouts, as well as provision of a Forward Operating Base to strengthen the security architecture of the state.
“My plea to you is that if they cannot give us a Command in Ekiti State now, because I don’t know the budgetary provision for that, we need a Forward Operating Base (FOB) as soon as possible. Whatever it is going to take, as a government, we will provide because announcement must be made to strengthen the security architecture of the state and give the people some respite.”
Governor Oyebanji promised the state government’s support for the military to get rid of the criminals infiltrating the state.
Responding to the demands, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, assured the Governor that the Armed Forces would do all within its power to track down the perpetrators of the crimes that happened in Ekiti State.
