The Ekiti State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the gruesome murder of the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin and the Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola by some unknown gunmen, on Monday afternoon.
The Union equally expressed displeasure at the kidnap of some primary school pupils and their teachers in Emure Ekiti; describing the dastardly act as heartless and unfortunate.
The State chairman of the Union, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, in a statement signed by the Union’s Secretary, O’Seun Ogunsakin, expressed serious worry at the alarming rate of insecurity in the country; saying that the security architecture of the country must be re-organised.
Babatuyi urged government to properly equip the South West Security Network popularly called Amotekun in order to complement the efforts of existing security agencies in curbing crime and insecurity.
The chairman who noted that Ekiti State had been relatively peaceful over the years said recent incidents of insecurity may not be unconnected to the influx of criminal elements from neighbouring States considering the locations of the recent kidnap and killings.
He added that there have been unsubstantiated claims that perpetrators of some of these heinous crimes have hide-outs in the forest and advised that security agencies should collaborate to flush out the criminal elements from the State.
The NUJ Chairman who urged security agencies to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the rescue of the abducted school pupils and their teachers equally called for thorough investigation of the killing of the two traditional rulers and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
Babatuyi who advised that security should not be left to only government and security agencies urged citizens to always report suspicious people and movements as this would help security agencies to be more proactive in their approach to curbing insecurity.
He said:“Yesterday was indeed a black Monday in Ekiti State with the killing of two traditional rulers and the kidnap of some primary school pupils and their teachers. Without doubts, our State had enjoyed relative peace until now. While we commiserate with the Government of Ekiti State and the people of Imojo and Esun Ekiti, we would like to passionately urge the security agencies to go after the perpetrators of these dastardly acts, especially the abductors of our young ones and their teachers.
“The innocent children and their teachers must be brought back home safely, while their abductors must be apprehended and made to face the music”.