Akeredolu warns erring communities

By Chris Chimezie
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Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has warned that any community dreaming of perpetrating any act of criminality to truncate the relative peace being enjoyed in the state will be decisively dealt with.

Akeredolu stated this when the Oloba of Oba-Akoko, Oba Nurudeen Adegoroye led his Chiefs and leaders in the community to the Governor to appeal that the restriction order imposed on the community be lifted.

It would be recalled that Governor Akeredolu had directed the restriction of vehicular and human movement into and from Oba-Akoko on Saturday due to the violence perpetrated by some youths of the community during the 2019 State House of Assembly election held in the town.

The irate youths whose efforts to illegally block the highway and prevent the police and INEC officials from moving with the results to the local government Collation Centre were thwarted, mobilized into the police station and caused many damages.

Among properties destroyed by the youths included police patrol vehicle, some other vehicles belonging to police officers as well as the DPOs Lodge and other private properties in the community.

The Governor who reaffirmed the state’s zero tolerance to any form of criminality, said any community in the state dreaming of wanting to perpetrated any act of unrest would be decisively dealt with.

Lifting the restriction of vehicular and human movement order placed on Oba-Akoko in Akoko South West local government area of the State, Akeredolu added that any purveyor of violence from any quarter will be dealt with henceforth in the state.

He further warned the elders of Oba-Akoko to fish out those in possession of firearms in order to guarantee  security and peace in the town.

Earlier, the Oloba of Oba-Akoko, Oba Nurudeen Adegoroye, in a letter of apology, read by the Arikainsen of Oba-Akoko, Chief Rasaq Ahmadu, expressed remorse over the incident that led to the ban on both vehicular and human movement.

He further appealed for the lift of the ban, which he said, had subjected the community to untold hardship.

A former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in the state who was part of the delegation, Mrs Olayinka Alabi-Oladapo, appreciated the Governor on behalf of the community for lifting the restriction order.

She promised that they would guide against the re-occurrence of such unholy incident in the community.

At the visit were Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon Ifedayo Abegunde, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Olugbenga Ale, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adekola Olawoye (SAN) and Chairman, Board of OSRC and Orange 94.5 FM, Mr Kunle Adebayo.