Mr Ayotunde Fatokun, the lawmaker representing Akinyele Constituency 1 in the Oyo State House of Assembly, yesterday met with community leaders, the police and local security outfits in the constituency over recent killings by unknown assailants in the area.
Recall that some suspected ritual killers had, in the last one month, killed six people in Akinyele Local Government Area at three different locations.
The killings, which had caused apprehension among residents, occurred at Abatakan, Fatokun and Olomowewe and Akingbile communities, all within the council area.
It was gathered that the incidents followed the same pattern as the assailants used cutlasses to massacre their victims and stones to smash their heads after which they wiped their blood with handkerchiefs before leaving the scenes.
Following these heinous crimes, the lawmaker said he had held series of meetings with heads of security agencies in the state on how to put a stop to the activities of the assailants.
Fatokun said that the town hall meeting was to deliberate on how to address insecurity in the constituency, adding that it was also an avenue for him to hear from his constituents about their expectations from him.
He said that the consensus reached was that a joint task force that would include local security operatives should be formed to tackle the insecurity in the council area.
Mr Okey Nwabufo, the Police Area Commander for Akinyele Local Government area, assured residents of adequate protection of their lives and property, saying that the police had intensified its security network in the area.
Nwabufo urged the people to assist the police with useful information that could assist in their efforts to nab the criminals.
He said that any information given would be treated with confidence, even as he enjoined the people to be more security conscious.
The traditional ruler of Iroko community, Oba Olasunkanmi Abioye, cautioned landlords in the area against accommodating unknown tenants.
He assured the residents that traditional rulers in the area would work closely with security agents to address the security challenges confronting the area.
The monarch warned the people of the constituency against bringing their individual domestic problems before the lawmaker representing them for solution.
He said what should be paramount in their minds should be how the lawmaker would bring development to the constituency for the benefit of all and sundry.
Mr Ajebode Isiaka, the representative of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in the local government area, urged the people to cooperate with security operatives to enhance their efforts at flushing out criminals in the area.
Isiaka also called on the lawmaker who initiated the meeting to continue working on how his constituency would be more secure.
The meeting had in attendance community leaders, representatives of various wards, the police, heads of local security outfits such as the vigilantes, the ‘Agbekoyas’, hunters and Odua People’s Congress (OPC).