The Pioneer Area Commander of Iseyin/Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, ACP Akanle Rufus Adegoke, psc, fipmld, FISN, MNIIA, on Saturday delivered a thought-provoking maiden security lecture titled “Tackling Insecurity in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State,” as part of the 2025 Annual Get-Together of the Association of Itesiwaju Consolidation Fronts.
The security lecture, which was held at about 10:00am at the Itesiwaju Local Government Hall, Otu, attracted traditional rulers, community leaders, government officials, security stakeholders, farmers, herders, youth leaders and members of the public.
The event was organised by the Association of Itesiwaju Consolidation Fronts, a non-political development-oriented group comprising indigenes of the local government, with a long history predating the creation of Itesiwaju Local Government Area.
In his opening protocol, ACP Adegoke acknowledged the Executive Chairman of Itesiwaju Local Government, Hon. Monsuru Ojo, the Chairman of the occasion, members of the Council of Obas, royal fathers from Otu, Okaka, Ipapo, Komu and Igbojaye, spiritual leaders, community and youth leaders, representatives of farmers, herders, Seriki Fulanis, sister security agencies, invited guests and members of the press.
Speaking extensively on the concept of security, the Area Commander noted that security remains one of the most complex and ambiguous concepts in law, diplomacy and the social sciences. According to him, security goes beyond the absence of crime and cuts across all facets of human existence, including food security, human security and cyber security.
He identified major security challenges confronting Oke-Ogun axis and Itesiwaju Local Government in particular to include kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, terrorism, land disputes, land grabbing, murder, herders-farmers clashes, fake news, religious intolerance, rape, ritual killings and drug abuse.
ACP Adegoke described security as both objective and subjective, stressing that it involves not only the protection of societal values but also the absence of fear that such values will be attacked.
He outlined four major approaches to combating crime, namely deterrence, collective security, arms control and disarmament, describing deterrence as the most effective crime-fighting strategy when properly implemented. He explained that deterrence thrives on communication, capability, credibility and second-strike capacity, adding that visible policing and strategic deployment of resources discourage criminal activities.
The Area Commander further identified root causes of insecurity in Itesiwaju LGA, including distorted historical narratives, forest reserves used as criminal hideouts, illegal mining activities, porous borders, leadership deficiencies, drug and substance abuse, poverty, ignorance, weak parental upbringing and unresolved indigene-settler tensions.
To address these challenges, ACP Adegoke recommended intelligence-led policing, raids of criminal hideouts, aggressive stop-and-search operations, joint security operations with sister agencies and non-state actors such as OPC, Agbekoya, Vigilantes, Isokan and the Nigeria Forest Security Services (NFSS). He also emphasised community policing, good parenting, timely intelligence sharing, leadership by example and the use of traditional collective security mechanisms.
He stressed that peace, security, justice, love and fear of God are indispensable to meaningful development, warning that no society can progress in the absence of security.
In his conclusion, ACP Adegoke appreciated the people of Itesiwaju Local Government for their cooperation and support throughout his policing career in the area. He dedicated his recent conferment as a Fellow of the Institute of Security of Nigeria (FISN), awarded on November 29, 2025 at the University of Lagos, to the people of the local government and specially acknowledged the Vice-Chancellor of the Technical University, Ibadan, Prof. Sola Ajayi, for his assistance to his family.
Earlier, the Oniro of Otu and Chairman, Itesiwaju Council of Obas, urged the association to actively engage in politics to drive development, while also recommending the inclusion of NDLEA and other security agencies in future engagements. The Olokaka of Okaka emphasised the inclusion of women and daughters of the land in the association, while cautioning on decorum.
Other dignitaries in attendance included Kabiyesi Oniro of Komu and Kabiyesi Okaka, while the Kabiyesi of Ipapo and Igbojaye sent representatives. The President of the Association, Front Hon. Akinleye E. T., delivered the welcome address, while Front Engr. Ayanwale highlighted the association’s achievements and objectives.
The event was widely regarded as a timely and impactful intervention toward strengthening peace and security in Itesiwaju Local Government Area.
