Don’t play politics with national security – Senate tells Buhari over Owo massacre

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Senate has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against playing politics with issues of national security, saying the Owo Catholic Church massacre presents yet again another opportunity for the federal government to decentralise the entire police structures across the country.

In a statement issued yesterday condemning the ugly incident in St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, the Senate spokesman, Senator Ajibola Basiru, who represents Osun Central Senatorial District, the Senate also called on security agencies to unravel those behind the killings and to determine what motive is driving such wicked acts.

He said there is no need to continue the blame game when insecurity ravages the entire states, especially when the Federal Government is in firm control of the security apparatus in the country.

“Our government cannot continue to treat the issue of National Security like a matter of politics. There is a need for immediate decentralization of the police structures with the establishment of State Police. We cannot continue the blame game over insecurity in our states when the security apparatus are controlled by federal authorities.

“I wish to call on the law enforcement agents to do everything possible within their means to find out these people and what their motives are”, the statement said.

While commiserating with the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, the traditional institution of the town and all the sons and daughters of Owo, especially the relatives of the victims of the dastardly act, Senate this act must be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The upper chamber described the attack as “an inhumane act that must not be allowed to go without fishing out the criminals and also punishing them”, adding that the gory pictures emanating from the site are horrific, horrendous and nightmarish.

“Why on earth would anyone or group think of attacking innocent worshippers with explosives and also rain bullets on them can only be left to imagination.

“The gory pictures emanating from the site are horrific, horrendous and nightmarish. It is unbelievable that this crime could be perpetrated by normal humans.

The news of the attack on a Catholic Church in Owo came shattering the peace of a Sunday afternoon. To me, it is reprehensible and totally condemnable whichever way one looks at it or whatever is the motive of the aggressors”, the Senate spokesman said.