Owo Massacre: Monarch carpets FG over opposition to state police

The Federal Government should reconsider its opposition to state policing following the June 5 deadly attack by gunmen on worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, the town’s traditional ruler has said.

The Olijebu of Ijebu-Owo, in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Kofoworola Oladoyinbo Ojomo, on Wednesday while receiving members of the Krown Club led by Yanju Alabi in Owo at his palace, urged the federal government to reconsider its resistance to State Police in order to create a more effective and efficient security system at the local level.

According to him, the government does not seem to value people’s security, as seen by gunmen’s audacity in committing mindless attacks on helpless citizens.

He said, “We have less than 300 policemen to police activities here in Owo. The security of our people does not mean anything to the present administration. They are just waiting for the administration to end without any solution in sight.

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“They are not giving enough encouragement to those at the state level to do what they should be doing. When criminals succeed with the first attack without apprehending them, the next attack will be bigger. So we have to find ways that it will not repeat itself again.

“If it is not for the initiative of our Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the situation in this place could have been worse than this. But it seems this is a direct attack to intimidate us.”

While emphasising that the attack which was meant to test the resolve of the people had failed, the monarch said that government should do more for the people instead of paying a condolence visit.

Earlier, the members of Krown Club had visited the church where they donated N500,000 to the victims of the attack.

During the visit, the members which included, Ademola Oshodi, Adesina Kareem, Owolabi Daramola, and Olurotimi Asolo called on all Owo sons and daughters to rally around the authorities to provide effective security in Owo and its environs.