The African Action Congress governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Daniel Popoola, has criticised the state government’s approach to tackling insecurity, saying the wave of kidnappings in parts of the state requires urgent, community-driven security measures.
- +Oyo AAC chieftain seeks stronger action against kidnapping
Popoola, in a statement issued on Saturday, said residents of Oriire Local Government Area and other affected communities had continued to live in fear as kidnappers allegedly operated freely on highways, farms and rural settlements despite ongoing government interventions.
Popoola, in a statement issued on Saturday, said residents of Oriire Local Government Area and other affected communities had continued to live in fear as kidnappers allegedly operated freely on highways, farms and rural settlements despite ongoing government interventions.
He said the recurring attacks had disrupted farming activities, restricted movement and forced many families to pay ransoms for abducted relatives.
“The people of Oriire Local Government Area, and indeed residents across Oyo State, are living in fear. Kidnappers now control our highways, farms and villages. Fathers are abducted before their children. Farmers cannot farm. Traders cannot travel after 6pm. Families sell property to pay ransom. This is survival, not life,” he said.
Popoola criticised what he described as the inadequate response of both the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to the security situation.
He maintained that residents deserved practical security interventions rather than official briefings while kidnappings continued in parts of the state.
“Security of life and property is government’s first duty. In Oyo today, that duty has not been met,” he stated.
He also called for the restructuring of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, urging the agency to focus more on forests, rural settlements and farming communities where criminal activities have intensified.
According to him, local hunters and vigilante groups should be fully integrated into the state’s security architecture because of their knowledge of the terrain.
Popoola pledged that an AAC administration would prioritise grassroots security by strengthening local vigilante groups, collaborating with traditional hunters and restoring Amotekun to what he described as its original mandate.
“No Oyo son or daughter should be kidnapped while politicians sleep safely in Ibadan and Abuja. AAC is different. We will secure every village, farm and road before any other project,” he said.
The AAC governorship aspirant said his broader vision for Oyo State also includes industrialisation, job creation, food security and transparent governance, but insisted that sustainable development could only thrive in an atmosphere of safety.
