Traditional rulers and stakeholders across Ibarapaland in Oyo state on Saturday cautioned operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to regulate and restrict their operations to border town and stay away from the area.
The Ibarapaland leaders handed down the warning at a meeting in Igbo Ora with a fact-finding team of the Oyo State Government, led by the Executive Assistant on Security Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, CP Sunday Odukoya (rtd).
Speaking at the meeting, the Olu of Igbo Ora, Oba Jimoh Olajide Titiloye, said that there was no basis for operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service to turn Ibarapa communities to theatres of bloodshed and war.
” We want it stated loud and clear that our communities, Igbo Ora, Igangan and Ayete are not border towns. Why should Customs turn the communities to theatres of bloodshed and war? We want Customs to regulate their operations”, he said.
Oba Titiloye added, ” it will be better if the authorities restrict them to border towns to end unwarranted attacks on innocent communities”.
The Olu of Igboora lamented that Friday night Customs’ raid left Igbo Ora and other adjoining towns in disarray with the killings of three persons, including an Amotekun operative, saying, ” the raid left so much turmoil in our communities as the Customs men came, shooting sporadically. Many of our people ran helter-skelter.”
The Chairman of Ibarapa North Local Government, Hon. Adeoye Adedoyin while speaking at the meeting said the raid left a sour taste in the mouth, as, “peace had returned to the area following the series of security steps taken by the State and Local Government after the last attack on the area by suspected herdsmen”.
“We have received the cooperation of state and non-state actors in our efforts aimed at boosting security. The hunters, Amotekun and other security agencies have been cooperating fully, but we were shocked to hear reports of sporadic gunshots and commotion that ensued after a raid by men of Customs Service.”, he said,
The Chairman added, “that raid is regrettable because it threatened the peace of our area,”
Executive Assistant to Governor Makinde on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (rtd) in his address asked the people of the area to be vigilance and remain calm, adding that the community policing and integrated policing initiative of the administration has been effective.
