Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has charged the
people of the State to be alert, always look out for terrorists and confront
them squarely.
The Governor said that people should stop running into their
houses whenever they see the heavily armed terrorists but to face them squarely
and chase them back into the forests.
He noted that there might be some casualties in trying to be
so courageous, but insisted that Ondo people are not lazy and cannot be
dominated by anyone.
The Governor stated this when he appeared on Channels
Television’s Politics Today on Monday evening, adding that the Zamfara State
Governor may have been a bit extreme when he proposed arms for his people for
self defence, but insisted that such is the response you get from someone who
has been pushed so hard.
“I heard my brother in Zamfara who said [he will] licence
people to carry arms, well it might be a bit extreme measure, but when you’re
pushed to the wall, there’s nothing else you can say.
“So what we’ve learnt earlier is that our people cannot
afford to stay back or lay back as if we’re lazy people. We’re not lazy.
“We’re indomitable people in spirit and everything, nobody
can dominate us. So when we believe that and strongly act that, fight these
people back! If they come, push them back into the forest and whosoever has the
higher arm will survive.
“So for us, people have to be alert…and when incidents like
this happen, don’t run to your house, go ahead and confront it. Yes, people may
lose their lives which is unfortunate, but if you confront it, they will hardly
go away.”
Speaking on the very group responsible for the massacre of
Christian worshippers in Owo, Ondo State, the Governor said that the Federal
Government was quick to jump into conclusions that ISWAP carried out the
attack.
According to him, the security agencies have not been able
to provide the evidence to back up their claims, adding that ISWAP usually took
responsibility for their heinous crimes.
Akeredolu said it was impossible to separate the activities
of Fulani terrorists, bandits and ISWAP, maintaining that they operate
together.
“What evidence do they have? Because we ought to know.
Because they were too quick to jump to the conclusion that it was done by
ISWAP. But whatever it is, we stand on the position that it’s the trilogy that
is operating in our forests and causing havoc,” he added.
“You just have Fulani herdsmen right in front, followed by
these bandits and then ISWAP. The three of them work together. So we’re not
people who’ll buy the idea of whether it is bandits or terrorists, Fulani
herdsmen or ISWAP. In Ondo State we’ve been facing terrorism from the three.
“Whether they’re bandits, Fulani herdsmen or ISWAP they work
together. So I don’t know how you want to separate them unless you come out
with concrete evidence.
“And our contention is that ISWAP, most times they take
responsibility for their actions. When they do things, they say ‘we’ve done
it’.
“They take pride in all this heinous crime. So, I expect
that if ISWAP had done it, they’d have come out and owned it up,” he said.
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