Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to apologise for deploying policemen to Magodo Estate in Lagos without the knowledge of the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The group stated that the apology was pertinent to preserve democracy as the two federal officials involved in preventing Sanwo-Olu, who is the state’s chief security officer, from quelling a situation that threatened public peace.
In the same vein, the National President of Soludero Hunters Association, Nureni Akintola, urged traditional rulers and elders in the country especially in Yoruba land to wade into the matter.
In a statement, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, condemned the disrespect, which the policemen deployed by the IGP and AGF exhibited towards Sanwo-Olu.
Ajayi said, “Afenifere is demanding unreserved apology from the IGP and AGF for this despicable affront. Not only that, we are demanding the immediate take-off of state police by any state that is ready to establish such. Nigeria should no longer be run as a country under a unitary system of government.”
According to Ajayi, the confession by the Chief Superintendent of Police, who led the police team to Magodo, has totally exposed the lies that Nigeria was practicing a federal system of government.
He added, “The country is officially called Federal Republic of Nigeria, while the extant constitution dubs each of the state governors as the chief security officer of their respective states. Yet, when Governor Sanwo-Olu wanted to take a step he considered necessary for the issue at hand, an obstacle was put on his way.”
On his part, Akintola called for wisdom and understanding in handling the matter.
He noted that there was the need for Nigeria to embrace state police for effective policing in the country.
He said, “It is imperative to have state police now. If we had state police, what happened would not have occurred. The governor is the owner of the state. They should handle it with wisdom.
“If there is state police only the state government would deploy officers there, not the IGP.
“Obas and elders in South-West should intervene before the mater degenerates further.”
[SR]
