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The people of Okelele in Ibagun ward of Ilorin East local government area of Kwara State have resolved to get rid of criminal activities in the area.
The resolve of the people followed the upsurge in cultists clashes in the area which claimed at least five lives last week.
Suspected rival cultists had between Monday and Wednesday last week turned Okelele community to a war thearter while engaging in reprisal killings.
Worried by the ugly and unacceptable development, the head of Ibagun community (Alangua), Malam Sakariyau Iyanda Ilufemiloye in collaboration with the the leadership of Ibagun Progressive Union (IPU) summoned an emergency meeting of all the family heads, religious leaders, elders and leaders of the community.
Those who spoke at the meeting which was held at the Government Day Secondary School, Amule, Okelele, on Sunday, included the Alangua Ibagun, Malam Sakariyau Ilufemiloye, special adviser on Strategy, Alh Saadu Salahu, special assistant on Security, Alh Muyideen Aliyu and the president of IPU, Alh Kuranga Omomeji Morogun.
Other speakers included the head, Community Policing Volunteers in the state, Alh Yusuf Abdullahi, elders of the community, Alh AbdulRaheem Olesin and Barrister Raufu Ajao.
Both Salahu and Aliyu briefed the gathering about the efforts of the state governor, AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq at ensuring peace and security in all parts of the state.
Salahu explained that prompt payment of salaries and pensions and logistic assistance for the security agencies in the state were parts of deliberate efforts by the governor to ensure peace and tranquillity in the state.
He called on religious leaders in the area and other parts of the state to make preaching against all forms of criminality a point of duty in their various worship centres and urged the people to promptly supply the security agencies with useful information that could aid the detection, prevention and maintenance of law and order.
For his part, Abdullahi informed the people that the community policing officers have identified where some criminal elements hibernate in the area and would soon swoop on them.
Deputy commissioner of police, Nurudeen AbdulRaheem, two divisional police officers and the head of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) outpost in Okelele attended the meeting.
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