The Osun State Government on Monday reassured residents of adequate security, saying the state was not under the siege of kidnappers and other criminals.
Mr Adelani Baderinwa, the Supervisor of the Osun Ministry of Information and Strategy, gave the assurance in a statement in Osogbo.
“The government of Osun, under the leadership of Governor Gboyega Oyetola, wishes to inform residents, indigenes of the state, within and outside the country, event followers and the general public at large that Osun is safe, peaceful and lively.
“It is imperative to state that the state is not under the siege of kidnappers, bandits or other criminals of any ethnic group as being falsely circulated by mischief makers.
“The social media reports on the security issues in the state are not only over hyped but full of lies by the disgruntled elements to instill fears in the mind of the people and rubbish the Oyetola administration.
“We acknowledge the little challenges of kidnapping that had happened three times from late last year and now on our highways, but those incidences are not in anyway sufficient to address Osun as unsafe and under the siege of kidnappers as some bad elements amplified.
“It should be on record that Osun has been awarded safest state in Nigeria in 2017 and 2018, and it will remain the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
“Our security apparatus and system are improving and the Oyetola’s administration is doing everything to sustain the security pace.
“The governor understands the fact that the primary responsibility of a government is security of lives and property.
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“He has not in anyway taken the security matters with levity,” the statement said in part.
It recalled the rescue of one Bewaji Oladipo who was kidnapped in Lagos and rescued in Osun by security agents.
“We need to commend these security officers for their activeness and desist from discouraging them by spreading falsehood on security operations.
“The government assures the people of the state of adequate security, safety of lives and properties.
“We reiterate that the reports on the social media on the security mishap in Osun are over-bloated with lies and cooked-up stories.
“Our people should remain calm and vigilant and they should provide information to security agents on strange movements and events in their various areas.
“Provision of adequate security is our collective efforts, we all have role to play in ensuring that our state is free from criminals,” it said.