.

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Disturbed by the spate of cult clashes and attendant killings in recent times in Ogun State, a group of youths, under the aegis of ‘Gateway Progressive Youths’ has called on the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and members of the State House of Assembly to take necessary actions that will put an end to the killings.

The group, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Olamide David and made available to Vanguard, noted that the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun needs to rise up to its responsibility of protecting the lives of citizens wherever they might be within the state.

The statement reads, “these unfortunate incidents are just but an addition to the series of many other killings meted, particularly to young people. If the violence continues unchecked, Ogun State may slip into a killing field where the government and security agencies will become helpless”.

“The fact that these killings can occur in the open with emboldened courage is a
clear indication that security is indeed falling apart in Ogun State”.

“The news of killings at one location or the other within the State is gradually become a norm”.

“We request that the government should without delay put an end to all needless
and avoidable killings and fish out all perpetrators of these evil acts to properly
bring them to book”.

“The sad losses of lives that were witnessed in different parts of the State over the last one week are heart-touching, frustrating and to say the least, unpardonable”.

The group called on the state government to re-asses its security strategies with a view to unfolding a more holistic and all-inclusive approach.

“We call on the government to, as a matter of urgency, do everything possible and
use any means available to curtail the situation and arrest all those who are behind the ongoing killings in the State which must be confronted head-on with might and power of the government”.

“The most important ingredients of living are the sanctity of human lives, the dignity of people and economic security. These factors are gradually fading away
in Ogun State owing to the spate of killings witnessed in the state”.

“We bemoaned the fact that at a time when the country is facing its toughest
economic challenge resulting in the harsh inflation of commodities, some youths
have chosen to engage in violent acts rather than engage themselves to productive economic use”.

“The government should be seen as swiftly acting on security-related issues as it is its primary constitutional responsibility to protect, secure and provide welfare to citizens, as enunciated in the second schedule of the 1999 amended Constitution”.

“Examples should be set by speedily arresting and prosecuting all criminals, hence, government should intensify efforts in identifying and prosecuting perpetrators of these dastard acts; the government and stakeholders, in collaboration with different security agencies must be up and doing against the tides of insecurities, in whatever guises”.

“We charge Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle
Taiwo Oluomo, to convene an emergency session on the rising state of insecurity
in the State, and urge our lawmakers to come up with a unified position on
specific security challenges in their constituencies with a view to arriving at
workable solutions on the state of security”.

“There is need for a constructive engagement mechanism with relevant
stakeholders to work out modalities towards bringing the crisis to an end. The
fundamental causes of the growing crisis must be identified and the problems
solved to restore confidence of the people in our security agencies to protect them”.