By, Avant Garde
The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has blamed Governor Seyi Makinde for the recent surge in kidnappings, murders, and hoodlum attacks, saying his administration has prioritized politics and showmanship over security.

In a statement issued on Friday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the party said Oyo’s security situation now compares poorly with the other five South West states.

“Window dressing and populism cannot help in building and sustaining security architecture. The current administration started on a bad note in 2019 with the disengagement of critical stakeholders from joint security activities in the state. Till today, traditional rulers and other relevant institutions are being left out.”

The party cited recent abductions of scores of school children and their teachers in two remote communities in Oriire Local Government, as well as the kidnapping of two staff of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria in Idi Ayunre, Oluyole Local Government, as evidence of deteriorating security.

APC also questioned the state’s investment in security equipment. “He paid almost N8 billion for the procurement of surveillance aircraft, but nothing has been seen since July 2025, while bandits and other criminal elements continue to torment residents of the state,” the statement read.

The opposition party accused the administration of politicizing security institutions. “The same Makinde administration equipped Mukaila Auxiliary and his army of political thugs with lethal weapons for the purpose of witch-hunting opposition elements and residents, but today the whole world knows the results of this action,” it said.

On the Oyo State Security Network, Amotekun Corps, the party alleged poor welfare for operatives. “Available reports indicate that able-bodied men recruited into Oyo State Amotekun Corps were the worst treated by the government. No good salary, no welfare package, no insurance or retirement plans, while most of them are deployed to serve the interest of those in power and their friends only,” APC stated.

The party also faulted Gov. Makinde’s recent call for state police, recalling his earlier opposition to the proposal.

“It is on record that the Oyo State governor was among those who frustrated the efforts when it was first conceived. Sixteen governors submitted memoranda on proposed modalities for the creation of state police in March 2024, but only one governor, Makinde, called the exercise a waste of time,” the statement said.

Quoting the governor’s 2024 interview on Channels TV, APC added: “I did not submit any memorandum on state police. But my position is very clear about state police. I see it, quite frankly, as a waste of our time.”

“Regrettably, Gov. Makinde now wants to shift the blame on the Presidency even though he has never been denied monthly security votes which run into billions of naira.”

The party urged the governor to take responsibility and act swiftly. “Gov. Makinde should sit up and rescue all abductees immediately,” the APC concluded.