Kidnapping Standing In The Way of Oke-Ogun Prospects – Alaran ……Says ‘Yahoo Boys’ Parents Now Form Associations

Kidnapping Standing In The Way of Oke-Ogun Prospects – Alaran

……Says ‘Yahoo Boys’ Parents Now Form Associations

A call has gone to the Federal Government and Oyo State government to urgently readjust the security apparatus and plans to end the scourge of kidnapping in Nigeria as the tide has affected the economic prospects of the Oke-Ogun region.

The call was made on Sunday by the former Chairman of Iseyin Local Government, Alhaji Saheed Alaran at the 2023 Annual Independence Celebration by the Joint Action Forum (JAF), Iseyin at the Aseyin palace, Iseyin.

Alaran who was the guest lecturer at the event, spoke on the title “Insecurity As An Impediment To Development in Oke-Ogun”, saying majority of business prospects, especially in the agriculture and allied businesses have been put on hold because of fear of kidnapping.

The politician, who highlighted different criminal tendencies in the part of Oyo State to include, armed robbery, kidnapping, cyber crime, land grabbing among others, urge the federal and State governments to urgently revamp the security system of the country, equip personnel with better weapons, recruit more hands and compensate diligent services by personnel.

“Many well-meaning people in the State continue to complain that the zone is abandoned and needs government attention, although Oke-Ogun is richly blessed and remains incomparable to other zones in Oyo Stateand other regions in the South-West, the zone and the people continue to suffer too much neglect and underdevelopment, their mineral deposits remain unharnessed while the people live in poverty and mainly consider themselves as relatively deprived of development.

“Among notable causes of insecurity in Oke-Ogun region are poor State of road and other infrastructures in the region which is being positively addressed by the State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde; and proliferation of herdsmen and their cattle in the region.

“Among the consequences of insecurity in the region are wanton murder, bank and other corporate robberies, kidnapping, arson, even ethnic genocide between Fulani herdsmen and native host communities, banks in this region have been robbed with many casualties, there had been reported cases of deliberate destruction of farm produce to pull way for cattle grazing.

“So many business concerns that would have impacted our local economies positively through job opportunities, increased commercial growth and savings by people have relocated elsewhere, those that already established farmlands have abandoned them as farm hands and managers were randomly picked and killed by kidnappers.

“We call on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently revamp our security system in Nigeria and Oyo State, equip personnel with adequate weaponry and employ more hands, imagine the population of Iseyin alone and the number of police officers being less than two hundred,” he lamented.

He also called on parents to give their wards good parental care as the menace of cyber crime, popularly called ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ is on the rise in Oke-Ogun side, adding that parents of young boys and girls engaging in the illicit crime have been reported to be forming associations and seeking spiritual help for their children.