Technocrat Media Nigeria
This is an editorial by TECHNOCRAT MEDIA advising the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu on what should be done to avert adoption of school pupils and students. This became necessary as a case of school bus was hijacked earlier today by alleged bandits.
The news of school bus and staff of a private school been hijacked by alleged bandits broke out earlier today at about 6:45am.
The report by media platforms said the incident happened while driver and the attendant were moving round to pick the pupils of Chimola School at Oba-Ile Estate in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo state inside the Estate to their school.
According to SUNSHINETRUTH, said the gunmen numbering about eight who were on motorcycles, rounded the vehicle, forcing the driver to stop.
He said the eight men who were armed with guns, cutlass and some other weapons, dragged the drivers down from the vehicle and threatened to kill him.
Gunmen arrived on motorcycles
It was surprising that the gunmen used motorcycles to execute their activities as early as 6:45am when the Ondo State government had ban motorcycles (Okada) from plying any road in the state between 7pm and 6am.
Just about two weeks ago, the government of Ondo State announced that as a result of growing insecurity in the state, Okada riders are banned from 7pm and 6am in all part of the state.
Though, the incident happened outside the time frame when motorcycles are supposed not be on the roads, yet it is embarrassing that this order is not being fully implemented and enforced. TECHNOCRAT MEDIA monitored compliance with the order in Akure metropolis, a lot of Okada riders were still operating as late as 9pm on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. If this could be happening at Oba-Ile, an extension of Akure, the state capital – only God can guarantee the security of people at the grassroots and remote areas where if anything happens, there’s no media coverage to report and amplify it.
The time to act is now
While reports has it that the school official adopted with the school bus has been freed, the government must rise to the occasion and put in place security strategies to prevent any further occurrence of this kind of incident in Ondo State.
If we fail to act actively and responsibly, this may just be a flash of what they are planning against the state. What has been happening in Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and other northern state must be prevented by Southwest governors.
As of March 2021, there were media reports and prophecies flying around that Bandits were planning to expand their operations to the southwest and may start kidnapping school pupils and students.
The governor should convoke security town hall meetings across the eighteen local government to harness local intelligence peculiar to each locality to enhance and security planning for State.
A combined team of police, NSCDC, military and other security outfits should be formed, empowered and mobilised across the local government to man flash points and strategic areas.
Amotekun and local vigilante groups in each local government should be empowered and mobilised to man and search forests where bandits and kidnappers may be hiding.
A security committee in each of the local government comprising traditional rulers, youth, and the likes should be put in place to work with security teams in their domains while the council chairmen would give weekly (if not daily) updates to the state government.
There should be close security oversight on all schools across the state to prevent fear and unnecessary access to pupils and students.
Lastly, the government has to address unemployment with new programs and policies that would provide jobs alternative to youth and support those running small businesses. Empowering small businesses for growth would have multiplier effects on unemployment as they would contribute to job creation and opportunities for young people.
We hope the governor and indeed, other governors in the southwest would act without delay.
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