The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has written
an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and warned him of looming anarchy
in the country and siege on Yorubaland by herdsmen and kidnappers.
Alaafin, who listed the recent spate of insecurity
in Yorubaland by herdsmen and their collaborators, lamented that President
Buhari was not doing enough in addressing the menace.
The monarch said Yorubas 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.
Titled, “Yoruba Question in Nigeria Conundrum”,
Alaafin said, “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.
“That 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.
“I have held series of consultations with opinion moulders and eminent Yoruba leaders across board about the menace of these cattle herdsmen with such assault like raping of our women and in some occasions, in the presence of their husbands. That is apart from massive destruction of our agricultural lands; which ultimately points to imminent starvation.
“On top of it all is the menace of professional kidnappers usually in military uniforms. What is more worrisome about the kidnapping notoriety is what looks like impunity which these kidnappers enjoy their nefarious activities.”
He said after due consultations with Yoruba leaders
and as the pre-colonial head of the Yoruba nation, Alaafin said people are
worried by the audacity of these lawless people in effecting their illegal acts
in broad daylight on our usually bushy highways without any arm of security
being able to do anything. “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.
“Now, we cannot even talk of parading suspects, when in actual sense, no major arrests have been made in this part of the country. Without arrests, we cannot talk of their facing of the law. “Unfortunately, and painfully indeed, in the face of the apparent helplessness of our security agencies, where do we go from here? “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 part 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.
“Having stated the above, and having established my premise as a stakeholder in your administration in the firm belief that we all believe in the Nigeria project, kindly permit me, Mr President, to make the following points and submissions as the Alaafin of Oyo, the King and Head of all Yoruba at home and in the Diaspora and the Chief Custodian of Yoruba culture and values,” he noted.
He pointed out that the people of Yoruba land in the
traditional six states of the South-West geo-political zone and extending to
some parts of Kogi, Kwara and Edo states live in palpable fear because of new
wave of insecurity of lives and property they now witness on a daily basis and
which is alien to them.
The people of Yoruba land in the traditional six
State of the South-West-political zone and extending to some parts of Kogi,
Kwara and Edo State live in palpable fear because of a new wave of insecurity
of life and property they now witness on a daily basis and which is alien to
them. This new uncomplimentary development is not unrelated to the new wave of
criminal activities usually associated with banditry, armed robbery and lately,
kidnapping and rape of genuinely innocent and law-abiding citizens. I remember
when these nefarious activities were first noticed in Oyo/Oke Ogun area of Oyo
state, I took proactive steps to stem the tide and to amicably normalise
relations between farmers and herders. Our initiative succeeded because we were
dealing with genuine farmers and herders who had a commitment to Nigeria and
who were interested in promoting their economic activities in a peaceful,
prosperous and united Nigeria.
However, it is becoming obvious that the nature and
character of banditry and kidnapping today are different from what they used to
be. Today, it is not merely infraction in the course of doing business, but a
blatant and criminal violation of the constitutional right to life and liberty
of innocent citizens of Yoruba land. A few publicly known instances will
suffice.
Certain individuals were kidnapped along
Erio-Aromoko road, Ekiti State. They were tortured and exposed to danger in the
forest for upward of two weeks. These victims included the Secretary of the
Nigerian Bar Association, IkoleBranch, Adeola Adebayo whose decomposing body
was eventually found after a ransom price of four million Naira had been paid.
Two officials of the FederalRoad Safety Corps both
Yoruba were picked up along Ilesa-Akure highway. In the process of this kidnap,
an unnamed individual died.
iii.
Musibau Adetumbi, a legal practitioner based in Ibadan was going to
attend an Appeal Court session in Akure when he was kidnapped along Ilesa-Akure
highway.
Professor Adegbehingbe, a surgeon at Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife was adopted along Ibadan-Ile-Ife highway.
Dr Muslim Omoleke, the administrative Secretary of
the National Electoral Commission was kidnapped around Ilesa, Osun State.
Mr Ayo Oladele, an employee of Guinness Nigeria and
an Old Student of Christ School, Ado-Ekiti was adopted and taken away and
lately,
vii. Dayo
Adewole, son of a member of your 2015-2019 executive council and Minister of
Health, Professor Isaac Adewale was kidnapped on his farm at Iroko, a village
along Ibadan-Oyo road.
There are many other instances of kidnapping, raid,
rape and banditry not publicly known but which were reported to the Police and
other law enforcement organisations.
As ugly as the picture above seems to be, the people
of Yoruba land have remained generally peaceful and have resisted concerted
efforts to push them into civil disobedience or adopting self-help mechanisms
to protect themselves in their homeland. They have demonstrated confidence in
you and in your ability to stem the tide of these criminal activities. Yoruba
have been restrained from believing the newfound Islamization or Fulanisation
theory.
I am therefore writing to you, as a concerned
stakeholder in your administration, to alert you and demonstrate to you, the
urgency of the need to quickly respond to these and other issues concerning
Yoruba land. There is a general impression among opposition group that you are
not known to take decisive and proactive steps in many matters of national
interest and that you are not usually too disturbed about the gale of
insecurity in Yoruba land.
May I also share with you the outcome or product of
my wide consultations in Yoruba land to let you know, beyond what official
security reports will make available to you, that there is a growing feeling of
frustration, disappointment and despondency among our people, which if not
immediately addressed, could lead to other serious national catastrophes and
security challenges.The present state of insecurity is posing enormous
challenges to people’s engagements in other economic activities. The incessant
and increasing menace on our highways and farms in Yoruba land is making
farming and other economic activities hazardous and dangerous. I recall with
sadness that the Old OyoEmpire disintegrated because the slave trade introduced
insecurity that made all other economic activities which had supported and
enhanced the prosperity of Oyo to decline. It is never my wish that any part of
Nigeria will ever go through this harrowing experience again.
Apart from the massive destruction of farms and
crops planted on them, the new wave of Fulani, pretending and disguising as
herders have unleashed a reign of terror on Yoruba land. They destroy crops,
they kidnap men and women, violate and rape our women, right in the presence of
their husbands. What this portends definitely more than the simplistic
interpretation of farmer/herder clash but the deliberate acts of hostility and
criminality. What makes it worrisome is the fact that for reasons best known to
the Police establishment, they have not been apprehending or pretend to be in
the defence of victims. There is always a tendency to blame the victims and
demonstrate helplessness in apprehending and bringing perpetrators to book to
face the full wrath of the law.
It is even said, Mr President that these criminal
pseudo herders go about their nefarious activities in broad daylight and many
times in military uniform. They carry sophisticated weapons, the likes of which
are only available to state actors.
There seems to be no doubt that the security
apparatus of the country is both overstretched and rustic. The philosophy of
policing the State, protecting life and property and ensuring the existence of
atmosphere that is conducive to life and living in Nigeria is lost on the
security personnel. In Yoruba land, we are scared and worried about the
outrageous audacity and effrontery of these criminal elements in carrying out
their activities and without any challenge by security operatives. In a
situation where money exchanged hands, the Police are adequately equipped to
trace every paper money issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Intelligence
gathering concerning money paid as ransom should lead, finally to these
criminals since they would eventually make transactions with the proceeds of
their illicit and criminal activities.
As no major arrest of Fulani pseudo herdsmen has
been made till date in Yorubaland, suspects cannot be paraded, let alone
arraigned. Even threatened a sitting traditional ruler and asked him to comply
with certain directives go about as if they are indeed above the law and beyond
arrest. It is unheard of that the State could be seemingly helpless in the face
of these criminal assaults on its integrity and capacity to carry out the most
sacred of its mandate; preserving life and property.
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 the legal
and constitutional framework of the security organisations. This is indeed my
greatest fear, recluse the situation is fast degenerating into what could
trigger the complete breakdown of law and order under a constitutional state
arrangement. Thus latent frustration must be nipped in the bud to avert a
breakdown of the state system in Yorubaland. 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. I have had many instances of
settling farmer/herder disagreements in my Palace to the extent of instituting
workable modalities for inter-communal conflict management and peace building.
What is strange is the new wave of criminally-minded Fulani groups. What is
again disappointing is the ease with which these criminals will leave our
country should there be anarchy in the land. They have other places to return
to, but Nigerians don’t have another country apart from here.
This is a serious national emergency when Fulani
herdsmen are engaged in criminality all over the country and the sitting
federal government seems helpless and generally unperturbed by what is going on
in the security organisations. There is no doubt that some leaders of these
security organisations are either incompetent or bankrupt of ideas. Some are
even compromised to take any decisive actions against criminals. What we are
witnessing in Nigeria is an anomaly because it is inconceivable that in the
21st century, when the whole world is making appreciable progress in providing
an enhanced standard of living, Nigerians will be living under the fear of
banditry, brigandage, rape, kidnapping and terrorism.
Insecurity is posing a direct threat and imminent
danger of living in Nigeria. It is capable of de-robing the country in the
comity of nations and passing it off as uncivilized and barbaric.
As more and more countries issue travel restrictions
to Nigeria and parts thereof, it is just a matter of time for Nigeria to lose
whatever gains it has made in repositioning itself for more decisive
participation in the international system. I trust that you will not allow this
to happen and will quickly and decisively take immediate steps to re-establish
confidence in your government and demonstrate the capacity of the state to
protect all legitimate interests.
I wish you God’s guidance, courage and wisdom to do
what is right, appropriate and necessary to build the Nigeria of our dreams,
where no ethnic group is oppressed or taken for granted.
While urging you to take out time to read and
consider this letter as coming from a stakeholder in your administration, I
wish to assure you of the warmest regards of the Royal stool.
No comments:
Post a Comment