Leaders of the Yoruba socio- cultural group,Afenifere and the South-West security stakeholders’ Group (SSSG), at the weekend, tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the rising spate of insecurity in the South-West.
The Yoruba leaders said the meeting was in swift response to the growing spate of insecurity in the region,disclosing that the meeting was also geared towards working out lasting strategies and modalities to secure the region against killer herdsmen.
Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, who is also the chairman and convener of the meeting, added that the meeting was a wake-up call to all prominent stakeholders in the the South-West to address the various security challenges in the region and further strengthen the safety of the people in the region.
He said issue of insecurity is between life and death, and as such, it must be addressed in the most strategical manner.
The group, also in a communique issued at the strategic meeting said: “We share the concern of the people in general and prominent Nigerians, especially about the security situation in the land.
“We are worried that the situation if not addressed signals a grievous national crisis”.
“The statement of Chief of Defence Staff of the nation calling on Nigerians to defend themselves was clearly official endorsement of self defence. We therefore, call on the government to quickly arrest the apparent descent into anarchy.
“We align with the call of the governors of South-West that President Muhammadu Buhari should prove his innocence in the carnage being perpetrated by herders by not only unambiguously condemning the nefarious acts but also take clear steps to exterminate it”
Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said the meeting had the backings of Yoruba leaders, including Pa Reuben Fasoranti and Pa Ayo Adebanjo and other stakeholders in the Yoruba nation, adding that the Yoruba nation would not fold its arms and allow the killer herdsmen to send prominent sons and daughters of the race to their early graves.
He faulted the political structure and arrangements in the country, saying a multinational states such as Nigeria must be built on respect for different human components making up the sovereign nation.
Leaders of other groups present at the meeting include the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) Agbekoya, Vigilante, Hunters, Comsaic
Apart from leaders of all the security groups in South-West, prominent leaders that were also present at the meeting were publicity secretary of Yoruba Summit Group, Gbonka Gboyega Adejumo, Bashorun Akin Osuntokun, Ogbeni Sola Lawal, and Chief Olumuyiwa Okunowo.
