Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has summoned heads of security agencies in the state to an emergency meeting following a rise in security breaches and recent killings linked to rival cult groups.
The meeting, according to the governor’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, is scheduled to hold on Wednesday.
Ojo disclosed this in an interview, saying the meeting would focus on addressing the recent violence and strengthening security across the state.
He said the governor was concerned about the killings involving suspected members of rival cult groups and would use the meeting to seek measures to prevent further attacks.
“We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes,” Ojo said.
The governor’s aide also said the security meeting would examine ways of making forests across Osun safer and preventing criminals from using forest areas as hideouts.
“What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals harbouring and hibernating in the forests. We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he stated.
Ojo said the meeting would also address the recent spate of killings attributed to rival cult groups and other violent crimes in the state.
He said, “Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks.
“We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy.”
He warned those involved in violent crimes to stop their activities, stressing the need to protect the image and security of Osun State.
“We need to stop it, so as not to give our state a bad name, because nobody knows what they are fighting for or why they are killing themselves,” Ojo said.
Two separate attacks involving suspected members of rival cult groups occurred in Osogbo between Friday and Sunday, leaving two people dead and about five others injured, according to reports.
Following the latest incidents, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, ordered tactical teams to raid suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo as authorities intensified efforts to curb further violence.
