Governors of southwestern states, under the aegis of the Southwest Governors Forum, have condemned Tuesday’s altercation between Abimbola Oyewole, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor.

In a statement titled ‘Southwest Governors: Police Officer’s Disrespect To Sanwo-Olu an Unacceptable Intrusion’, the governors described the officer’s refusal to obey Sanwo-Olu as “utter disrespect”.

The statement reads in part, “We are in possession of a video which has gone viral on social media concerning the disgraceful exchange between a police officer, a CSP, and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, the supposed chief security officer of the state, at the Magodo Residential Estate.

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“The content of the video is very disconcerting, and this is being charitable. The utter disrespect, which underlines the response of the officer to the governor establishes, beyond doubt, the impracticability of the current system, dubiously christened “federalism”. An arrangement, which compels the Governor of a State to seek clarifications on security issues in his jurisdiction from totally extraneous bodies or persons is a sure recipe for anarchy.

“We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between the so-called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.

“We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) in this act of gross moral turpitude.

READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu Knocks Police for Continued Presence at Magodo Estate

“We, on our part, will continue to interrogate the current system, which treats elected representatives of the people as mere prefects, while appointed office holders ride roughshod over them as lords of the manor. If the purported chief security officers of the states of the federation require clearance from the office of the IG on matters within their areas of jurisdictions, only hypocrites will wonder why the current security crisis deepens and there appears to be no solution in the foreseeable future.”

The forum asked that Sanwo-Olu deploy regional security outfit, Amotekun.

“We stand by our brother, the Governor of Lagos State. We advise him to deploy the regional security outfit in the state to protect the lives and property of the people.

“We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to rein in the excesses of certain elements bent on acting in a manner capable of eroding the bond of trust existing between the people and the federal government. It is preposterous for political appointees to seek to undermine the very structure of service upon which their appointments rest.”

The statement, signed by Rotimi Akeredolu, chairman of the forum and Ondo State Governor, referred to an incident at the Magodo Estate Phase 2, Lagos, on Tuesday, where police officers on the instruction of Usman Baba-Alkali, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), laid siege in a bid to effect a Supreme Court ruling on a land tussle between the Lagos State Government and the Shangisha Landlords Association.

When Sanwo-Olu arrived at the scene, Oyewole refused the governor’s instruction.