Crime rate: It didn’t just happen that Osun is least crime-infested state in Nigeria – Bureau

The Government of Osun on Sunday said the commendably low crime rate in the state as confirmed by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, is the direct result of the several initiatives of the Rauf Aregbesola administration since inception in 2010.

The government said the Aregbesola government did not just secure the state through procurement of security hardwares, it achieved the feat through a dint of well-thought out welfare packages that are disincentive to criminal activities.

The Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the office of the Governor, said the declaration by the Inspector General of Nigeria Police that the state is the most secured and peaceful in the country as one that has justified the huge investment of Governor Rauf Aregbesola led administration on security.

Solomon Arase, IGP

The Bureau’s statement signed by its Director, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, stated that the commendation has shown that‎ the commitment of the governor to security of lives of it citizens has not gone without notice.‎

The Inspector General of Police had commended the State government and the indigenes for making Osun the safest state in the country at‎ an interactive forum of the Association of Veteran Journalists in Osun State where the IGP was also given an Award of Excellence.

The IGP who was represented at the occasion by the Commissioner of Police, Osun Command, Mr. Femi Oyeleye, said the achievement was not without the cooperation of the patriotic citizens and varying vigilante groups that have had excellent relationships with the police.‎

The Bureau said ‎apart from the huge investments in security, the government of Aregbesola had prevented crime through its numerous programmes such as youths employments, infrastructure, social welfare schemes and others.

According to the Bureau, “Apart from the regular police manning the state, government had at inception, set up a dedicated crime response team code-named Swift Action Squad (SAS), which is visible in strategic areas in the state as well as identified troubled spots.”

The statement said rather than concentrate on the provision of security hardwares as the only way to solve crime, the government, through its various intervention programmes, had made crimes unattractive.

“A huge army of unemployed youths could be a veritable recruitment ground for criminal activities. Our intervention in the area of youths employment was targeted at ensuring that this army of unemployed youths was depleted. With 40,000 direct employment of youths through this strategy, we succeeded in preventing what could have been the insecurity implications of such huge population of jobless people,” the statement added.

The Bureau added that apart from youths employment, the state government’s massive infrastructure programme such as new roads, schools construction, introduction of modern agricultural extension and practices, and other infrastructure projects, several thousands of indirect jobs have been created to reduce the problem of unemployment.

The Bureau added that the government is very conscious of problems that insecurity poses to direct investment both local and foreign, adding that no investor would risk investing in an atmosphere of violence and insecurity.  ‎

‎It added that the fact that Osun is impregnable to criminals could easily be attributed to the foresight of Governor Aregbesola in considering security most paramount in his heavy‎ investments in security equipment.

It added that criminals who had tested the will of the state in recent times have found out that the state is not a haven for crime.

The Bureau listed incidents such as the Ikirun bank robbery, the kidnap of prominent business woman and Iyaloja (Head of Market Women) of Kajola-Ijesa market in Atakumosa East Loca Council, Mrs. Adunni Adegbokun, and her rescue as instances that buttress the IGP’s commendation.

It assured residents that the government would continue to make the state safe for residents, tourists and investors adding that this is the only way through which the state could develop.