BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Security agencies in Osun State, including the state Police Command, Department of State Services, Nigerian Immigration Service, as well as the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, have expressed concern over recent attacks and killings of their personnel by criminal elements across the country.
The Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Olawale Olokode, recently expressed worry that the experience during and after the 2020 #EndSARS protest had emboldened hoodlums to attack police formations and personnel across the country.
“Insurgents and other criminal elements are now emboldened to attack security officers, whether or not they are in uniform or armed,” he said.
Alluding to different cases, he said scores of policemen and officers had been killed during protests.
Describing brutality against the Police and other sister agencies as unfortunate, he urged the citizens to understand the importance of their presence in the society.
He said, “There is hatred for the police and several false reports and varying unsubstantiated allegations had been levelled against officers and men of the force. Some unscrupulous members of the public and hoodlums are now emboldened to face uniformed agents, be it military or police, and whether they are bearing arms or not.
“Their actions are at the expense of the lives of our personnel. The Inspector General of Police had directed that police officers should protect themselves when under attack. Recall that during the #EndSARS saga, the people confronted the police, killing our personnel and destroying our facilities.”
“Those who want to attack or vent anger on the police should think twice now because our officers had been instructed to protect their own lives as their lives and safety are also important too. The IGP had instructed that we should not fold our arms and get killed by the attacking hoodlums,” he added.
“Those who want to attack or vent anger on the police should think twice now because our officers had been instructed to protect their own lives as their lives and safety are also important too”
On the plight of the personnel within the Osun State Command, the CP, represented by a Senior Officer, Oyetunji Adesina, alleged that police stations, barracks and other facilities were attacked.
He spoke at a Youth, Media and Security Summit, organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Refuge of Life Foundation, in Osogbo recently,
However, he said the facilities had already been fortified, adding that the security architecture in the state had been strengthened.
“The Police was established to detect and prevent crimes. Our officials constantly undergo trainings on handling of firearms so as to guarantee the safety of lives and property of the law abiding citizens of the state,” the CP noted.
On the spate of killings of security agents across the country, the Head of Legal Service of DSS in Osun State, Chidi Nweke, said the security agents had become endangered species.
Nweke said members of the public now exhibit “aggressive attitude towards security personnel. We are now endangered species.”
He urged the citizens to see security agents as their brothers and sisters, adding that the personnel were not the cause of the nation’s problems. He added that despite the series of attack, the agencies still worked hard to ensure that the security of the nation was intact.
An officer of the NSCDC, Ayodele Adewole, who described security as everyone’s business, urged members of the public to desist from seeing security personnel as enemies.
An Immigration officer, A. A. Odutan, noted that insecurity had become endemic in the land long before the #EndSARS protest broke. He urged Nigerians against venting anger and frustrations against the security personnel, saying that they were not immune to the hardship being faced by the people.
The Director of RelFondNigeria, Bolarinwa Olabode, said, “The kidnapping and banditry by the killer herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgency, the police brutality, the oppression and the repression from all strata of the society, are gradually reaching the crescendo. Hence, the three active players and stakeholders are striving hard to bring lasting peace. That is why the youths, the media and the security agencies are brought to a roundtable.
“We recommend that governments at all levels should wake up to their responsibilities of securing lives and livelihood of the citizens as entrenched in the Constitution. Government at the centre should look inwards and consider the agitation of the citizens for state/community policing.
“Nigerians are tasked to ensure that the youths are well trained at the family level with rich moral upbringing.”
