Elder Statesman and Former Military Governor of Ondo State, Chief Bode George, has said that the recent attack by suspected Yoruba Nation agitators in Oyo State is a confirmation that Nigeria falls short in policing and intelligence gathering to enhance Nigeria’s security.
Chief George said this on an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday while discussing the attack and clash between security agencies and the suspected agitators, who have been arrested and are undergoing investigations.
George said he had expressed disbelief when he saw clips of the attack “I thought it was Nollywood,” also saying that he thought it was “a joke, a bad dream.”
He said, “What happened is a confirmation that we are- in terms of policing, in terms of intelligence gathering, the personnel so far, there is a shortage. What is the total population of the Nigerian police? What is the total population of the intelligence department at the national and at the state? Every political discussion is local.
“We need to establish, very urgently, state police. This is it. Because the state police will be people drawn from the area. They know the culture, they know the norms, they know the dos and don’ts in the area, and information gathering will be much faster.”
Further lamenting the attack, Chief George said, “You don’t take up arms against your nation. It’s unimaginable. They brought guns, they were there with charms, are they dreaming? It’s unacceptable, it’s the highest breaking of the law of the land. You can talk, you have that freedom of speech, you can express your opinion, and we have been doing that- that’s the most sensible way to approach this problem, everybody including me.
“I know as a matter of fact that the constitution we are running is not working. It’s more like a defined paperwork for a military organisation. Why should everybody head to Abuja every month to collect their largess? It’s not working. What has the president got to do with my local government here, or with the local government in Sokoto or the local government in Bayelsa? Nothing. Politics is local, and we want to see that the restructuring, everybody has been talking about it, it is the path we should take. But to start taking arms and to start shooting people, it’s a modern-day Robin Hood, it’s insanity.”
Chief George said that although he understood that agitations could occur in citizens due to the non-performance of a government, “you just don’t go, arrange for people to take arms against your government. It is treason.”
The former military governor of Ondo state then emphasised that the matter has to be thoroughly investigated as he said, “We must find out to the depths, who organised this. And until the 8th hour, when they now got there, started shooting with their flags, that arrested the attention of the public. Something is amiss.”
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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