Chairman, Caretaker Committee in Ibadan South West local government area of Oyo State, Hon. Gbenga Opaleye has revealed reason behind the incessant clashes in some major areas in the ancient city of Ibadan.
Opaleye while reacting to the recent clash that occurred at the weekend in some areas such as Oke Ado, Foko, Ita-Maya among other areas in his council area, declared that the alarming rate of Indian helm joints especially in the affected areas was the major factor.
Opaleye, who spoke in an interview with journalists on Tuesday insisted that it was unfortunate that there were over 100 Indian hemp joints in Ibadan South West local government alone.
He said that he was working in conjunction with security agencies,the especially NDLEA to check the tide.
He said ” I have arranged a lot of security meetings even with the DPOs within my jurisdiction in respect with this issue, I just finished a meeting with vigilante group because without the efforts of the vigilantee and the people of that community it will be very difficult for me to curb the situation.
“Those boys, people normally call them thugs, I call them armed robbers, because they always organize themselves, they rob at will, they are not thugs but armed robbers. They rob with guns. Thugs don’t use guns and thugs don’t rob. The are armed robbers
“Because what happened yesterday was a very ugly situation whereby the state commissioner of police was attacked. I was there live, I saw it myself. But thank God that we got some of them arrested. Something happened last year where some houses were razed courtesy of those boys too, after looting, they set the house on fire; the commissioner of police was there, members of the state house of assembly were there, we later resolved that two or three outposts should be constructed around those areas.
“But the issue of those vigilante, I called the community people to nominate like two or three people and we are going to screen them before giving them training about the vigilante.
“Not only that, the issue of Indian hemp, they cannot foment trouble without the influence of Indian hemp. Like in my own local government now, we have about one hundred and something Indian hemp joints.”
Opaleye then assured that with the steps being taking by the council in collaboration with community leaders, security agents and other stakeholders, the perennial crisis in the areas would soon become a thing of the past.
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