Despite the government’s incapacity to protect lives and property, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum has warned that Nigerian citizens may soon be forced to take arms in self-defense.
Attorney General Akeredolu’s keynote talk at the commencement of the 36th annual meeting of the Attorneys-General of the 36 States was given in light of a recent terrorist attack on a church in Owo, Nigeria.
According to the governor of Ondo, the police force is already overworked by the country’s increasing security challenges.
He said that the police were unable to respond to the recent Owo incident because of a lack of vehicles.
The Governor noted that “The Police had failed” when he instructed the Department of Public Safety to “shut shop” if the Federal Government could not meet its equipment needs.
A central police command was ineffectual in protecting the citizens of Nigeria because of mass killings, kidnappings, and other significant security failings, he said.
There has been a lack of security that has put Nigerians in peril, Akeredolu lamented.
He told AGF, “We will soon be carrying weaponry. Oga Malami, my dear. Otherwise, there would be no way.”
In addition, the Governor urged states to rebuild the country by establishing their own anti-graft institutions, among other things.
At the event, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Nigerian Bar Association President Olumide Akpata, and Director-General of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum will also speak, as well as other high-ranking officials in the judiciary.
It has been reported that Lagos and Plateau Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Simon Lalong will speak at the conference, which is currently taking place.