Oyo State House of Assembly has advocated the resuscitation of vigilance groups, especially in rural and agrarian communities.
This is to enhance and complement the efforts of the security agencies in curtailing the activities of killer herdsmen, kidnappers and other security challenges.
The call is coming barely 24 hours after governors of the six Southwest states met in Ibadan for a security summit to seek a solution to the myriads of security challenges facing the region.
It was also part of the resolutions of the House at its plenary while deliberating on a motion on the need to beef up security against further incursions by killer herdsmen.
The motion, which was jointly sponsored by the Deputy Speaker Abiodun Fadeyi (Ona Ara Constituency) and the Chairman, Parliamentary Council, Mr. Olajide Fatokun (Akinyele 1), made references to different cases of kidnapping in the state.
They warned that if urgent action is not taken, the situation may degenerate beyond control.
The motion generated a lot of reactions from the lawmakers, who condemned insecurity across the state and the incursion of kidnappers and herdsmen.
Other lawmakers decried the porous nature of the nation’s borders, which they maintained has given the unhindered movement of foreigners into Oyo State.
They reiterated that security issues should not be left solely in the hands of the police and other security agents.
They called for the involvement of traditional rulers, religious and community leaders and other stakeholders in the various communities in security meetings and strategies.
The Speaker, Mr. Debo Ogundoyin, reiterated that security remains a major challenge in the country, describing the motion as apt and timely.
Harping on the importance of the vigilante group, the Speaker noted that employing such services and deploying them to various flashpoints and forest reserves in the state will reduce the activities of killer herdsmen and kidnappers.
