Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, yesterday, alerted President
Muhammadu Buhari to growing feeling of frustration, disappointment
and despondency among Yoruba people caused by nefarious activities
of Fulani herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers, which, if not immediately
addressed, could lead to other serious national catastrophes and
security challenges.
The revered monarch, in an open letter to Buhari, lamented the
security situation in the country, especially in the South West geo-
political zone, as well as Yoruba-speaking areas of Kwara, Kogi and
Edo states.He blamed the situation on incessant menace of Fulani
herdsmen who have laid siege to almost all highways in Yoruba
land.The monarch alleged perpetration of all forms of assault on
Yoruba people, including raping of the 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
with which these kidnappers enjoy their nefarious activities.” Alaafin
said Yoruba leaders were worried by the audacity of the herdsmen,
kidnappers and bandits to perpetrate their illegal acts in broad daylight
on the usually busy highways without any security agency 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 security
personnel being able to lay siege to such spots as 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 the criminals facing the
law.”
According to Alaafin, “it is in the wake of this manifest frustration of
our people that they have found it unavoidable, even though reluctantly,
to resort to alternative measures to safeguard life and property. In
most part of Yoruba land, their pre-colonial military structures have not
totally collapsed, hence, such structures like Odua Peoples Congress
(OPC), Agbekoyas and other vigilance groups.”
The monarch noted: “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 an 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.”
Oba Adeyemi said in the face of the apparent helplessness of the
security agencies, President Buhari should answer the question on the
lips of most Nigerians: where do we go from here?

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