...alleges Criminals Masquerading As Herdsmen now hide in Akoko-Owo, Oke-Ogun, Ijebu-Remo, Egba, Yewa, Ekiti, Ile-Ife Forest in Multitude ...says marauder hails from Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, West Africa Countries *Proffer solutions
In what looks like a wakeup call to a sleeping Giant, a Pan Yoruba Socio-Cultural Group, Yourba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation on Monday sent a “wake up call” to all Governors and Governors-elect in South West Geopolitical Zone of the Nation of Nigeria, urging them to be vigilant, stating very expressly that the entire region has been surrounded by Criminals from within and outside the shores of Nigeria who pretends to be Herdsmen.
The group called on the governors to rise above partisan interest and take actions aimed towards safeguarding their people against internal and external aggressions, stressing that posterity and history would never forgive any of them who, for the sake of party politics, stare helplessly while their land is annexed.
In a statement co-signed by the group’s Convener, Otunba Deji Osibogun and a Trustee, Senator Tokunbo Ogunbanjo, the organization urged the Governors to as a matter of urgency, call for an emergency meeting and invite relevant stakeholders to take a common position on how Yoruba Nation can be protected against attacks.
“We say with all sense of responsibility and without any fear or intimidation devoid of sensationalism that the entire Yoruba Land has been encircled by external criminals masquerading as Herdsmen.
“Empirical Intelligence available before us shows that these criminals who are mainly from Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto and some West African Countries, are being dropped daily in Yoruba Land by Heavy Duty Trucks.
“Presently, these criminals are in multitude living inside forest in Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State; Ido/Osi, Ikole, Oye, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ijero and Efon-Alaaye areas of Ekiti State; Obafemi Owode, Remo and Ayetoro-Imeko in Ogun State; Ife/Ijesha in Osun state and Akoko-Owo-Akure land in Ondo state, pretending to be Herdsmen who rear cows during the day but investigations conducted by our intelligence team have it that the hoodlums are responsible for 80% of the recent reported cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in Yoruba Land,”
Yoruba Koya stated that most of the kidnapped victims, when interrogated by group’s Security and Intelligence Team after regaining their freedom, confided that their abductors are mostly Fulani Herdsmen, some of whom are non-Nigerians that could not speak English Language.
On the solutions out of the security quagmires, the pro-restructuring organization said “consequently, we call on all Governors in Yoruba Land, including the incoming ones, to as a matter of urgency, set machinery in motion to ensure that these criminals are flushed out from all forest in South West through formulation of policies that will protect and safeguard their people from attacks.
“To start with, we suggest that all heavy duty trucks and trailers coming into Yoruba Land are thoroughly searched at border towns before they are allowed in. All herdsmen in Yoruba Land must be duly registered and put on jacket/uniform whenever and wherever they are grazing.
“Additional intelligence made available to us has it that these criminals are now penetrating into Lagos State under the guise of riding commercial motorcycle whereas, they are digging for information to be delivered to their partners in crime.
“We therefore suggest that a Law is enacted to ensure that all Okada Riders operating in Lagos State be registered at designated centres across the state with their Bank Verification Numbers taken. Jacket with registration number must be issued to them after meeting all requirements and payment of registration fees.
“Thus, anyone caught riding commercial motorcycles in Lagos state without uniform should be regarded as a criminal that must be arrested and charged to court in accordance with edit laws,” the group said.
The group further appeal to all Landlords and Community Development Associations (CDAs) to thoroughly fulfil all tenets of Know Your Customers (KYC) before engaging Security Guards so as not to live with enemies within
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