The governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola has set a 72 hours ultimatum for looters to return their loots
Osun State Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola on Sunday issued a 72-hour period of amnesty for looters to return stolen property or face the full wrath of the law.
Oyetola who spoke during an on the spot assessment of the extent of damage perpetrated by looters in the state on Saturday said those who perpetrated the act have the period as grace to return the looted property to either the palace of monarchs within their domain or the Chairmen of their respective council areas.
Part of the places visited by the Governor includes Tuns Holdings International, Sam and Sara Garment Factory, Osun Mall, APC Secretariat, in Osogbo, National Silos, and other private property at Ilesa.
The Governor said many of the valuables carted away at the garment factory are traceable and would be traced while the perpetrators would be made to face prosecution if they take advantage of the 72 hours grace period.
He described the situation in the State on Saturday as an act of armed robbery, which negates the investment drive of his administration and also the virtues of omoluabi dor which the state is renowned. “What I witnessed today is actually not done by hoodlums but armed robbers at the garment factory, they virtually removed everything therein.
It very unfortunate, we are encouraging private Investment, this has provided jobs for our people and training. Let’s me say this, those people that participated in this looting will be fished out. The machines have serial numbers.
So I will implore them to return the machines, we have about 72 hours to encourage those that participated in the looting to return what they have stolen either to the kabiyesi palace or called LG Chairmen.
If they do that on their own there is a possibility of an amnesty, should they fail to do so, we will get them. So, they should take advantage of the 72 hours to return what has been stolen so we can tell them to win no more failure to do so, we have enough evidence to track them and they will be dealt with accordingly, Oyetola said.
He assured citizens of the state that the security of their lives and property is a priority for his administration, commending the head of security agencies for the promptness with which normalcy was returned to the state.
The Governor further pledged that he would look at ways to assist looted companies with a view to keeping them in business and gainfully engage residents of the state.
While lauding the Governor for showing concern with their plight, the Chairman of Tun Holdings, Chief Tunde Badmus said the company production line has stopped since the attack, adding that raw materials and finished goods looted is in the region of N100 to 150 million.
He said the company has incidents a case of armed robbery and murder with the police because staff of the Company, Abdulrasheed Olawale was killed during the looting.
The Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Engr. Sunday Atoyebi, said over 1,160 metric tonnes of cassava flakes was looted from the silos beside the laboratory equipment that was looted from the facility.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye who was on the governor’s Entourage said the community has put necessary measures in place to curtail such occurrence in the future.
