The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi
Adeyemi, on Sunday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to without wasting more
time; find a lasting solution to the siege on Yorubaland by herdsmen and
kidnappers
Oba Adeyemi, who stated this in
his letter to President Buhari on the increasing spate of insecurity in and
across Yorubaland, stressed that it is now time for President to ensure that
those involved in the siege are tamed and brought to book.
The royal father in the letter
entitled “Yoruba Question in Nigeria Conundrum”, a copy of which was obtained on Monday, disclosed that “Yoruba’s 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.”
Here is the full letter:
“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.” saying, “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.After due consultations with Yoruba leaders and as
the pre-colonial head of the Yoruba nation, 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 is 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.
“The people of Yoruba land
extending to some parts of Kogi, Kwara and Edo State are living in palpable
fear because of new wave of insecurity of life and property they now witness on
a daily basis and which is alien to them, and that , “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 normalize 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 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, Ikole Branch, Adeola Adebayo whose
decomposing body was eventually found after a ransom price of four million
Naira had been paid.
“Other victims of kidnapping in
Yorubaland included, two officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps both Yoruba
that were picked up along Ilesa-Akure highway; Musibau Adetumbi, a legal
practitioner based in Ibadan; Prof. Adegbehingbe, a surgeon at Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-ife; Dr Muslim Omoleke; Mr Ayo Oladele, and Dayo Adewole, son
of a member of your 2015-2019 executive council and Minister of Health,
Professor Isaac Adewole who was kidnapped on his farm at Iroko, a village along
Ibadan-Oyo road, saying, 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 new found
Islamization or Fulanization 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 Oyo Empire 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 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 id 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 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 Yoruba land, 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 legal and constitutional framework of the security organizations.
“This is indeed my greatest fear,
recluse the situation is fast degenerating into what could trigger 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 Yoruba land.
“I am aware that members of the
Odua People’s Congress scattered all over the world are already being mobilized
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 manages 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 organizations.
“There is no doubt that some
leaders of these security organizations 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 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 to 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”
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