Deploy Modern Technology To End South-West Insecurity – Monarch Begs FG, Governors

The Olowu of Kuta, Oba Hammed Adekunle Makama Oyelude, has said the security challenges and rising cases of kidnapping for ransom in the South-West were long foreseen.

The monarch stated this on Sunday when the leadership of the Osun Online Publishers Association visited him.

Oba Oyelude said the current situation required better coordination among the Federal Government, South-West governors and security agencies, adding that modern technology should be deployed to support security operations across the region.

The traditional ruler said security personnel should not be exposed to avoidable danger when technology could help them detect and respond to threats more effectively.

According to him, drones and surveillance equipment would help security agencies monitor forests, border communities, rural settlements and other vulnerable locations.

He said, “The wave of insecurity in the Southwest is what had been foreseen ahead of time. I believe the Federal Government and governors in the Southwest are up to the task. Security budgets have been approved, but what we need now is proper coordination and application of platforms, both hardware and software.

“Rather than endangering our security personnel unnecessarily, drone technology and surveillance equipment will solve a lot of problems.”

Oba Oyelude said the region must move beyond ordinary security meetings and adopt practical systems that can detect criminal movement before attacks occur.

The monarch also urged residents of the South-West not to panic over the growing security concerns.

He called on citizens to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious movements and activities in their communities.

Oba Oyelude said, “If you see something, say something. The major issue is that security situations should never be politicised under any disguise.”

He warned that politicising insecurity would weaken response efforts and create unnecessary division at a time when all stakeholders should be working together.

Speaking further, the Olowu of Kuta said the burden of national security rests largely on the Federal Government because state governors do not control most federal security structures operating in their states.

He said, “No state government controls the Commissioner of Police in its state, nor does any governor control a Brigade Commander, let alone a General Officer Commanding.”

The monarch said this limitation made it necessary for the Federal Government to take stronger action while working closely with state governments and local security networks.

He added that without proper coordination between federal and state actors, efforts to tackle kidnapping and violent crime may not produce the desired results.

State Govt Should Strengthen Amotekun

Oba Oyelude called for the strengthening of regional security outfits such as Amotekun across the South-West.

He said Amotekun already provides a form of community-based security support in the region and should be better equipped to complement federal security agencies.

He stated, “In the Southwest, we already have a nomenclature of state policing through Amotekun. Every state government should strengthen its Amotekun corps, while the Federal Government should also up its game by deploying more security platforms.”

The monarch said local security structures were important because they understood the terrain, language and movement patterns within their communities.

Oba Oyelude also lamented what he described as the weakening of the constitutional relevance of traditional rulers in Nigeria.

He said monarchs still command influence in their communities but lack legal authority to perform formal security and administrative roles.

According to him, “No monarch has real power again; what we have today are influential monarchs. The powers of traditional rulers were eroded long ago. Traditional rulers are not even mentioned in one line of the constitution, yet councillors are mentioned multiple times.”

He said the absence of constitutional roles for traditional rulers had weakened grassroots intelligence gathering and local security management.

The royal father added, “How many traditional rulers have been kidnapped or killed? We can only offer advice. The policy file of every traditional ruler is sitting on the desk of the local government secretary. We are merely managing that table so that it does not break.”

Despite the challenges, Oba Oyelude said traditional institutions were still in dialogue with government authorities at state and national levels.

He said monarchs remained important because they are closest to the people and understand the structure of local communities better than many formal institutions.

He said, “There is dialogue. The Federal Government and state governments are talking to us. There are interface meetings through the National Council of Traditional Rulers and state councils. We are the closest to the people.”

The monarch said traditional rulers could play stronger roles in intelligence gathering, dispute resolution and community mobilisation if they were properly recognised under the law.

Oba Oyelude called on the National Assembly to act quickly on laws that would formally recognise traditional rulers in the constitution.

He said the same urgency often given to executive bills should be applied to matters affecting the traditional institution.

The monarch said, “The speed with which the National Assembly passes executive bills should also be used to enact laws that will include traditional rulers in the constitution.”

He recalled that in the past, intelligence gathering started from compound heads, village heads and other local leadership structures.

According to him, “When a visitor entered a community, the compound head or village head would immediately ask questions about the visitor. Intelligence gathering started from there. But today, we do not have constitutional roles.”

The Olowu urged President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to recognise traditional rulers as critical partners in national development and security management.

He said giving monarchs a clear constitutional role would help strengthen community-based intelligence and improve the country’s response to insecurity.

Oba Oyelude said, “If the Federal Government truly wants it done, no executive bill spends more than 72 hours at the National Assembly. We expect Mr. President to be magnanimous enough to see traditional rulers as partners in progress.”

The monarch maintained that insecurity in the South-West could be better managed through technology, stronger local security outfits, improved federal coordination and proper recognition of traditional institutions.

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