The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has described the killing of three Obas in Ekiti and Kwara states as the highest insult to the Yoruba race and an abomination that would only be cleansed with the blood of their murderers.
OPC President, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, who made the submission in a statement he issued in Lagos, said the organisation was eagerly waiting to be invited and mobilised by the Yoruba governors to join the manhunt for the monarchs’ killers.
“Our Obas are next to God traditionally. To kill an Oba is unheard of, not to talk of killing three Obas within one week. It is the highest insult to us as Yoruba people, and these evildoers will not be allowed to go scot-free,” Afolabi said.
He continued: “The killers must face the full consequences of their evil, dead or alive. If criminals can get away with killing three royal fathers like chickens, then who is safe?”
Afolabi said the Ekiti and Kwara governors and the Federal Government should mobilise patriotic groups like OPC and Agbekoya to join the effort in making Yoruba land safe again.
“Today, we have a dangerous threat hanging over our heads and this is time for all hands to be on deck to make our land and people safe again,” the OPC President emphasised.
Throwing its weight behind the call by Oyo State’s Governor Seyi Makinde for the creation of state police, OPC said the formal security agencies were clearly overwhelmed by the widespread and nationwide cases of killing, kidnapping and abduction perpetrated by non-state actors.
“The Federal Government and the National Assembly must allow states to run their own police formations. We operate a Federal Constitution and we need to allow the Governor and House of Assembly to take control of security by themselves, instead of running to Abuja for permission to confront the slightest security challenges.
“These criminals are exploiting the usually slow response time of an over-centralised, Abuja-controlled Federal police to cause havoc and escape justice. The time now calls for the evolving of a decentralised security system to meet our policing and security needs.”
OPC demanded that South-West governors should purchase sophisticated arms for Amotekun.
The organisation commiserated with the government and people of Ekiti State for the killing last week’s Monday of their two traditional rulers: Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area and Elesun of Esun Ekiti in Ajoni, Ikole Local Government Area.
OPC also sent condolences to the people and government of Kwara State over the killing of Oba Segun Aremu-Cole in his palace at Koro town in Ekiti Local Government Area on Thursday.