Respite appeared to have come the way of the people of Ibokun, Obokun Local Government of Osun State, following the deployment of an Armoured Personnel Carrier in the town at the weekend.
The deployment of the vehicle followed its facilitation and renovation by the House of Assembly member representing Obokun state Constituency, Hon Olatunbosun Oyintiloye.
The area has been under security threats such as an armed robbery attack, which took place at Wema Bank Ibokun, the only bank in the area, On December 15, 2015.
Two persons lost their lives, others were injured and large sum of money carted away during the incident, which rendered the bank incapacitated from doing business since that time even as economic activities in the area have been compromised.
To restore order, ensure that the bank re-open office for business, restore economic activities and promote commerce, the lawmaker representing Obokun state constituency, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, with the approval of Governor Rauf Aregbesola facilitated and financed the renovation of the vehicle for security of the area.
However, there was a jubilation in the ancient town, as residents trooped out to receive the vehicle, which was led to Ibokun by the lawmaker and security operatives.
Oba’bokun of Ibokunland, Oba Festus Awogboro, commended the efforts of the state government and the lawmaker towards ensuring security of lives and property.
He lamented that the residents of Ibokun and its environ had been experiencing hardship in banking transactions since the armed robbery attack, saying the provision of the armoured vehicle has brought succour.
The Yeye Mojumu of Ibokun, Chief (Mrs) Adenike Dunsin, and the Iyaloja of Ibokun, Chief (Mrs) Adeyemo Ramat, said the provision of the armoured vehicle was the exact need of the people of the area for their economic development.
They commended the state government and the lawmaker for responding to their yearnings and demands, saying the gesture has brought succor to the people.
One of the youths leaders in the community, Olojede Adebowale, said since the closing down of the bank, he has been running errand for many elderly people by travelling far on their behalf for banking transactions, which in itself is a risk.
He said, apart from the security of lives and property, the gesture would erase the stress residents go through for banking transactions, commending the state and the lawmaker for their efforts.
Handing over the armoured vehicle to the DPO in charge of the town, Mr. Durodola Taofeeq, Oyintiloye said, the reopening of the bank would revive the commercial and economic activities of the town.
Oyintiloye who commended the administration of Governor Aregbesola for providing an enabling environment for every business to thrive, said the efforts of the government has made the state to remain peaceful over the years.
The Lawmaker pointed that it became necessary for people to change their mindsets about security management stressing that the community cannot get the best result from, individualistic and isolatory tendencies.
“There is the need to awaken consciousness and strengthen local apparatus such as the vigilante groups, there is the need to adopt smart monitoring and reporting tools, there is the need to build the capacity of young ones to adopt simple technology for surveillance and collaborate with security agencies to nip crime at the bud”.
Oyintiloye stated that Armoured Personnel Carriers apparently is a cute hardware, the place of human ware should not be displaced, “we must calibrate our community all the time and identify weak areas that may give us away. We must probe ourselves, actually, I believe with effective networking with community heads and kabiyesis, we can do effective mapping of our community and invoke trespass order on intruders, we can invoke ancient traditional technology, if any exit, to fence our society”.
He emphasized the need for security issues to be brought into the front burner, in religious, social, formal and informal meetings saying people should not only be alert but be aware.
While calling on affected bank and other business institutions to quickly resume businesses in the town, the lawmaker charged youths to always be vigilant and be security conscious in their areas.
