Insecurity: Come to our rescue, Alaafin tells Buhari

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi Sunday raised the alarm on the siege on Yorubaland by herdsmen and kidnappers, asking the federal government  contain the menace frontally.

Oba Adeyemi raised the alarm in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on the recent spate of insecurity in Yorubaland by herdsmen and their collaborators, saying President Buhari is yet bringing the culprits to book.

The letter entitled “Yoruba Question in Nigeria Conundrum”, the Alaafin said the people had all it takes to resort to self help, unless the security in the zone improves and people are guaranteed safety of their lives and property.

“I have never been timid or shy of my total support for the success of your administration to deliver the country to the Promised Land. My confidence had always been based on Your Excellency’s ability, fitness and competence in leading the country to the Promised Land, where law and order prevail, individual liberty is guaranteed, economic well-being of the citizens is assured.

“My confidence in Your Excellency remains unshaken to date. In recent time however, I am worried about the security situation in the country, especially in the South West geo-political zone, nay the entire Yoruba speaking area of the country including Kwara, Kogi and Edo states.

“This has to do with the incessant and increasing menace of Fulani herdsmen that have laid siege in almost all the highways of Yoruba land. Whether in Owo, Akure, Ilesa/Ife-Ibadan road or Ibarapa zone and Ijebu area of Ogun state, the story is the same.

“Worse still is the confidence with which they demand ransoms and collect such illegal levies at designated spots without any arm of security being able to lay siege on them as it was the practice in the recent past.

“It is at the wake of this manifest frustration of our people that our people have found it unavoidable, even though reluctantly to resort to alternative measures to safeguard their lives and property. Suffice to say that in most parts of Yoruba land, their pre-colonial military structures have not been totally collapsed; hence, such structures like Odua People’s Congress, Agbekoya and other vigilante groups.

“Mr President, let me assure you that the Yoruba people traditionally have what it takes to defend themselves and interests against all enemy attacks.

“What is of immediate concern is the possibility of these traditional self-help mechanisms of defence to conflict with legal and constitutional framework of the security organisations.

“I am aware that members of the Odua People’s Congress scattered all over the world are already being mobilised to stand in the defence of their land and are ready, willing and able to raise an army of volunteers as was done in 1968 by the Agbekoya.

“It is trite saying that a stitch in time saves nine. For me, and relying on ancient wisdom, the dilemma of a possible breakdown of state authority and power could still be managed and the slide to anarchy arrested. Historically, and even now, ethnic relations between the Yoruba and the Fulani had been managed adroitly through excellent statesmanship and participatory administration of inter-ethnic group relations.

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