Mr Leye Oyebade, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the South-West, has pledged that the Police would redouble its efforts to put a stop to the looting of government and private property by suspected hoodlums in Osun.
Oyebade gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, on Monday in Osogbo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that warehouses where COVID-19 palliatives were stored, as well as private stores, were recently looted in the state.
NAN also reports that the National Grain Silos in Ilesa were not spared, as hoodlums looted all the food items kept in the facility.
The governor, apparently worried by the development, again imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state on Saturday.
There was also an attempted attack on the governor on Oct. 18 by assailants during a protest against the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS) in the state.
Oyebade said that the IGP, Mr Mohammad Adamu, had given an order to the police to take over the public space and protect the lives and property of Nigerians.
He noted that those who carried out the acts were not protesters and should not be allowed to continue unleashing terror on the society.
“Those outside now are not protesters and we cannot allow them to continue that way.
“The IGP has given us the order to take over the public space and we will communicate to members of the public on why peace must reign,” Oyebade said.
In his remarks, Oyetola commended his security aides for living up to expectations during the attack on him by the hoodlums.
The governor, who noted that the attack was pre-planned, said he was grateful to God for sparing his life.
Oyetola appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Air Force and the DSS and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps for their roles in ensuring that peace returned to Osun.
