Primate advises govt on insecurity, condemns rising cases of kidnappings

Rufus Okikiola Ositelu, Primate of The Church of the Lord (TCL) Worldwide and president of the World Council of Churches (WCC) for Africa has urged both the Federal Government and the State Governments to intensify efforts toward ending insecurity in the country, describing the present situation in the country as unbearable for the citizenry.

While saying that governments at all levels should do all within their power to crush the criminals head-on, he lamented that insecurity in Nigeria has now extended to the terror-safe-area in Nigeria – the Southwest region of the country.

“Nigeria is currently grappling with a spate of mass abductions. But the vast country also faces many other security challenges but recently, the southwest region of Nigeria has become a target for infiltration by terror groups.

“The development comes amid rising cases of kidnappings and attacks in Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states. On May 15, bandits attacked three schools in Esinele, Yamota and Alawusa in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Teachers were killed, while 47 pupils and teachers were abducted during the attack.

“I hereby urge both the Federal Government and the State Governments to do all in their power to crush these bandits and terrorists head on,” he added.

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Ositelu in a statement also expressed worry over growing hardship, and uncertainty facing residents across the nation. The Primate however stated that state and community policing is the antidote to the insecurity in Nigeria.

“It contends that correcting this breach of the contract by government through a constitutional amendment or a new constitution which removes police issues from the exclusive list to the concurrent lists in the Federal Constitution as well as give more powers to the Federating Units is fundamental not only in solving the security issues in the country but also in tackling other issues confronting the country.

“I hereby urge members of the National Assembly to pass the Law to create state and community policing. Let us continue to pray for the peace of God to reign supreme in Nigeria.”

According to him, there are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a mainly Muslim north, a largely Christian south, with intermingling in the middle – and the government says people of all faiths have been victims of attacks.

“There are criminal gangs in the north-west, an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, clashes over land in the north central regions and separatist unrest in the south-east, and now we have the bandits in the south-west region of the country – leaving the 400,000-strong army and the police force of 370,000 officers overstretched.