The South-west part of Nigeria has been witnessing terrible insecurity lately. BAYO AGBOOLA reports on recent developments and the way forward.
With the unfolding security situation in parts of the South-west states in the country especially the Yoruba speaking areas, there is no doubt that the menace of mindless killings and kidnapping have found their way into the region once perceived to be the safest axis in the country.
In the past few days, the region especially Ekiti state witnessed the killings of two traditional rulers, the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola and Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin, Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, the kidnap incidents in Otu, Saki and Okaka in Oke-ogun area of Oyo State, the kidnap of chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Mr Phillip Aivoji others at Ogere, Ogun state on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with one of the kidnapped person, a woman meeting her untimely death during a shot-out between the kidnappers and the police while trying to rescue them from the kidnappers. This is beside the primary school pupils together with their teachers in Ekiti among others who were equally kidnapped recently.
Generated reactions by Afenifere
The increasing wave of insecurity in the region has been generating lots of reactions from stakeholders and groups in and across Yorubaland. Afenifere, for instance, has tasked President Bola Tinubu to summon the necessary political will to arrest the increasing insecurity in the country by convening community/ stakeholders meeting to tackle the insecurity challenges. This the group claimed amounted to enemies within as an insider.
It said, “By insiders, we mean people who have a relationship one way or the other with kidnap victims; in other words, masterminds of this dastardly act, or their collaborators could be family members, business associates or those with whom the victim has a social relationship.
“Afenifere is sure that Tinubu-led government is capable of arresting the ugly phenomenon. This is why we have been suggesting the means to achieve this. “Among the steps suggested were urgent conveyance of cluster meetings with various communities where the stakeholders would be reminded of the risks and destructions such an act was causing them. Government should also tell participants that henceforth, those who are caught, including collaborators, would face stiff penalties not ruling out death penalties. At such meetings, collaborators and informants would be there to hear that government is now determined to be ruthless with hoodlums and terrorists. While that is going on, security agencies must be strengthened numerically, equipment-wise as well as in terms of remunerations and incentives in addition to the deployment of modern technology for security purposes.”
The Pan Yoruba socio-cultural/political organisation in a statement by its national publicity secretary Comrade Jare Ajayi stressed that, “As we have stated several times, the president should issue an Executive Order proclaiming multi-level police forces. In other words, states and local government areas that so desire should be legally allowed to have their own police services that would operate within their areas of jurisdictions respectively.
“An executive bill can then be forwarded to the National Assembly for the amendment of relevant sections of the constitution to allow multi-level policing such that would go a long way in solving the problem. “Experiences of such countries like Britain and United States of America are a clear indication that the time to allow for multi-level policing has come, but such police forces must be by state actors and not by non-state actors because of possible abuse.”
The Ooni too
The Ooni of Ife and Co-chairman, National Council Of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi emphasised that there is the need for the federal government to expedite thorough investigations into the killings of Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola and Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin, Elesun of Esun-Ekiti.
He said the killings of the two Obas in Ekiti state by gunmen is absolutely unacceptable and a pure sacrilege and deliberate display of criminal audacity to undermine the government’s security control capacity. He stated that it is now time for governments both at states and federal levels to show practical capacity in the area of security management and operations.
“We cannot continue like this. Several of our school children are still languishing in the undetected incarceration of these heartless terrorists.
A party state chairman in Lagos state was a victim recently. What about the recently abducted school children in Ekiti state? Six sisters in Abuja not too long ago with one of them killed. Similar cases across the country. Who is safe in this country again? Enough is enough. The time should not be later than now for government both at states and federal levels to show practical capacity in the area of security management and operations. The traditional rulers in Nigeria must be motivated with statutory community policing policy needed to work officially with government as we remain the closest leaders to the people. We know the traditional techniques to get rid of all these unfortunate situation.”
The Ooni in a statement by his director of media and public affairs Otunba Moses Olafare noted further, “We are no cowards and we are ready to rise to the occasion of defending our traditional land. Get us statutorily involved and see that what we inherited from our respective ancestors are still intact and real. “Assassinating traditional rulers in cold blood! This is absolutely unacceptable to us. If this could happen to the traditional rulers, what would then become hopes for their common subjects who look up to them for local security interventions? This is a pure sacrilege and it is a deliberate display of criminal audacity to undermine the government’s security control capacity. This reprehensible act has not only robbed us of noble leaders but has also left a scar on the fabric of our unity and peaceful coexistence as a nation. Government must stop at nothing to ensure the perpetrators are arrested and made to face justice.”
Reaction at another forum
Also speaking in Ile-Ife during the 2024 Oodua festival, organized by the Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF), the Ooni said he would rally all the six governors in the South-west to involve the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Oba Gani Adams in securing the region against the prevailing killings and kidnappings, stressing that the killings of two Obas in Ekiti state was a bad omen and a pointer to the fact that the South-west is becoming too volatile as bad elements are making the region unsafe for the people.
Represented by the Obalufe of Ife Kingdom, Oba Idowu Adediwura, Ooni said, “It is time to use what we have to get what we want. We want peace in Yoruba land. We want effective security of lives and property. We want to sleep with our two eyes closed and we have a rising star who can make that possible.The Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Oba Gani Adams is the rising star who has what it takes to tackle the security challenges as he has been transforming the region through his cultural promotion activities for the past two decades.”
Gani Adam speaks too
The Aare, Gani Adams, emphasised the urgent need for a holistic approach to solve the security scourge across Nigeria as he assured the governors of the region that if they involve him in their efforts to curb the raging spate of insecurity, he was sure that the security challenges in the region would reduce drastically within six months.
“As the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, we would not allow the Plateau massacre to be replicated in any part of Yoruba land, but it must be stated that there is urgent need for a lasting synergy between the government and the people at the grassroots.
“With the present security situation in the country, it is obvious that the government cannot do it alone.The battle to curb the spate of insecurity should be a collective effort and the government should involve us in addressing this issue.
“If the governors of the South-west involve me in their efforts to curb insecurity in the region, I assure you that the security challenges in the region will reduce drastically within six months.”
There is no doubt that residents across the South-west are now beginning to be living in fears with the increasing wave of insecurity gradually shifting its base to the area mostly on the roads particularly the ever-busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway and some inner roads in Oyo, Ekiti states. This would surely put more pressure on the South-west governors to put in more efforts in strengthening the Amotekun and others local vigilante groups towards ensuring the much needed tight security in the region.
