Sensing danger of an unpoliced state, Governor Seyi Makinde today visited the headquarters of the Oyo State Police command in what is believed to be a reconciliatory visit.
This is just as he pledged compensation for slain officers.
This newspaper learnt that ex-commissioner of police in Oyo State, who is now a deputy inspector general of police in charge of south west, Leye Oyebade and ex CPs in Makinde’s cabinet facilitated the reconciliation visit.
The commissioner, sources told OYOINSIGHT.COM has not been happy with the government.
OYOINSIGHT.COM recalls that more than 4 policemen were killed in Ojoo and Iwo road area of the state following the attack on police facilities by hoodlums.
Owing to what the governor saw as an unprofessional handling of the #EndSARS, he had asked the police to stay back and allow men of the joint security task force codenamed Operation Burst, to take charge.
A police source had told OYOINSIGHT.COM that the leadership was not happy with the handling of the situation by the governor. The source accused Makinde of keeping mute when their men were killed me burnt to death.
According to the source, “The governor deliberately and openly rejected policemen in the state by openly showing it through his speech. He told us openly to step down while constantly calling Operation Burst which are minute in strength to take up security of the state. With this utterances, he also encouraged the hoodlums against the police.
“Innocent policemen were killed in cold blood in Iwo Road, the governor came there but instead of him to condemn the action and warn them, he kept begging them while also giving them money. He equally also told them that the boy arrested will be released before the end of the day. This action weakened the spirit of the policemen in the state.
The government did a press release but never mentioned or sympathized with the police or the property lost. The Agberos that are well known to them were the ones causing all this havoc, killing and burning police station. All the arms carted away are in their hands. It’s a pity that ibadan is returning back to the state of anarchy by openly celebrating touts,” the source added.
Despite plea from authority to policemen to return to their duty posts, many of them, for fear of being killed, are yet to turn in.
Meanwhile impeccable sources had confided in OYOINSIGHT.COM how Makinde had initially thought of filling the gaps created by the refusal of policemen to return to duty posts with Amotekun, especially with the quickness with which names of applicants were released.
During the visit, Makinde promised that families of police officers killed during the ENDSARS protest get due compensation as well as grant other requests made by the state police command
He urged the officers to put behind the ugly events of previous weeks across the nation and work together with the state government together with other stakeholders in building trust in the people while restoring orderliness and stability into the society
Sympathizing with the police on the death of police officers, burning of police stations and other casualties, Governor Makinde noted that his expressing support for the ENDSARS protest did not imply dislike for the police rather a desire for a better society
Oyebade, who spoke earlier, insisted that the role of the police force could not be outsourced, urging officer to be proactive.
