*REPORT ON MY VISIT TO THE DIRECTORATE OF STATE SECURITY (DSS), KOGI STATE COMMAND, LOKOJA, ON WEDNESDAY, 8TH DECEMBER 2021*
By
*Dr (Chief) Oluwayomi David ATTE*

1. In response to its invitation, I reported to the office of the DSS, LOKOJA, on Wednesday 8th December 2021. The postponement from Tuesday 7th December was by mutual agreement. I was accompanied to the DSS Office by a very senior Okun citizen, known for his integrity, forthrightness, commitment to Okun progress and safety and an Okun patriot. He was brought in to assure Okun People and myself that the DSS meant to do me no harm. Also present is the Hon. Commissioner for Information, Kogi State, Hon. Femi Fanwo. The Director of the DSS and his very senior assistants met with us. All of Okun People and our Friends elsewhere who were extremely anxious and apprehensive about my invitation by the DSS must be anxious to know what happened to me. Below is my report.

2. THE DSS TREATED ME WITH UTMOST POLITENESS, DECENCY AND RESPECT. THERE WAS NO HINT OF HOSTILITY IN THEIR ATTITUDE AND I WAS NOT GRILLED. THE HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL WAY THE MATTER AT HAND WAS HANDLED BY THE DIRECTOR IS COMMENDABLE AND ADMIRABLE.

3. The dialogue between us, which is what it actually was, covered the following areas:

i. The Director drew my attention to one statement in each of my two recent posts that have security implications which I might not have realised. In the post in which I raised Okun People' s concerns about the visit of Sheikh Ahmad Gumi to Fulanis (recent arrivals, not the Fulanis who have lived peacefully in our midst for decades without kidnappings, murders and destruction of farms), I was referred to where I said the "Fulanis will leave Okunland in a hurry". The Director said that statement, from a "respected" leader, could be construed by the Youth as a directive to attack Fulanis. This, therefore, could be regarded as incitement. That in the post where I informed you of my invitation by the DSS, I referred to Late Obadiah Mailafia in a way that insinuated that he was killed by DSS and I could be asked to provide proof. The observations were fully acknowledged. No other reference was made to any other part of the two posts.

ii. The Director assured Okun People that Gumi's visit to Okunland was not a State sponsored/supported event at all. Gumi, a Muslim Cleric, had expressed his intention to visit friends in Okun. He was treated the same way that any other cleric such as Pastor Adeboye or Rev. Kukah, would have and indeed have been treated. It is incumbent that religious leaders of all faiths be treated with dignity and not be denied wishes like visiting friends whatever they might feel about them. He assured us that their job to ensure that such visits do not forment any trouble was creditably performed.

iii. Following on ii above, the Director spoke extensively about crime, noting that all tribes have criminals and good people. This applied to Fulanis too. He related situations where crimes thought to have been committed by Fulanis were found to have been committed by people of other tribes. So we should not accuse a particular tribe as the only criminals.

iv. The Director assured us that they are not just quiet, they had been operating in Okunland to arrest criminals. He said many of the arrested suspected criminals were in their cell so they are not unmindful of the pains, hurts and fears of Okun People. He said they will continue to be proactive and mount more operations.

v. The Director, on behalf of the DSS appealed for collaboration between them and our local Okun security architecture.

4. After this, the Director requested me to speak and bare my mind. I spoke to the events in the last few years and how for some time our people were suffering attacks without help. We spoke out and DSS Lokoja queried us but when they realised what we were doing they asked for collaboration. I narrated various reports we sent to the DSS in Lokoja. Okun People did not take laws into their own hands but reported to the DSS including arresting a Fulani but instead of hurting him we delivered him to the DSS. We also delivered photograhic evidence of foreign Fulani camps to DSS. Not much was done to our knowledge. Then the contacts abruptly stopped. After that I narrated instances of Fulani actually committing crimes and hurting people and our local people arrested them and we handed them to the Police. In both cases the Police released them on "orders from above". I went on to recount specific attacks on Okun People, the people kidnapped or killed, the ransoms our people had to take bank loans to pay, farms destroyed. In all cases, we were on our own. The Police did not help and other security agencies seemed silent. So we had no option but to cry out and also determine, not to attack anybody but to exercise the right to defend ourselves and our land.

5. The DSS and I were able to identify what caused the communication gap between them and Okun in the area of securty and agreed to resume cooperation and collaboration. The Director then established the means by which the DSS can be reached with useful information which he promised that the Directorate would attend to promptly.

6. The Senior Okun citizen who accompanied me spoke to the respect and consideration shown to me and Okunland and that Okun People are committed to pursuing their collective interests in all facets but do so peacefully. He reiterated that Okun are peaceful people but determined to defend, according to the law, whatever they consider to be their legitimate rights. I reaffirmed that Okun is not an enemy of government. He praised the professionalism, courtesy and friendly posture of the DSS officials who have behaved in a way to disabuse the minds of the public about them. He thanked them for handling the current "Okun" matter with maturity. The Hon. Commissioner for Information also spoke of wonderful Okun People known for peace and accommodation. He thanked the DSS for their courtesy, professionalism and decency in the way they handled the present matter.

7. The Director, expressed happiness that we have learnt more about each other and looked forward to cooperation to eliminate the suffering, fears and hurts of Okun People arising from security issues.

8. The meeting ended in handshakes and the Director led all his Senior officers
to escort us to our vehicles.

9. Words fail me to adequately appreciate Okun People, who demonstrated such wonderful spirit of courage and oneness. So Okun People can unite like this! HALLELUJAH!
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT IF WE CAN PUT OUR MIND TO IT. ALL OKUN PEOPLE, OLD AND YOUNG, MALE AND FEMALE, PROFESSIONALS, YOUTH, WOMEN, EVEN PEOPLE IN OUR VILLAGES ROSE LIKE ONE MAN TO DEFEND OKUN INTEREST. HOW MANY CAN I MENTION? FORMER SECURITY CHIEFS FROM OKUN, OKUN TRADITIONAL RULERS, ACADEMICS, ODA NATIONAL EXECUTIVE, ODA NORTH AMERICA, OKUN LAWYERS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS ALL ROSE TO THE OCASSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND PLEASE LET US STAY TOGETHER IN ONE SPIRIT UNTILL OKUN'S LIBERATION STRUGGLE IS WON. YOU HAVE SHOWN THAT YOU CAN DO IT. ÀLL LEADERS MUST SHOW MORE INTEREST IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. NO MAN CAN DO IT ALONE. IT MUST BE "AGBAJO OWO".

10. OKUNLAND EXPRESSES DEEP APPREATION TO THE YORUBA NATION FOR THEIR UNFLINCHING SUPPORT. CHEIF AYO ADEBANJO AND OBA OLADIPUPO OLAITAN , LEADER AND DEPUTY LEADER OF AFENIFERE, THE EXCO AND NATIONAL CAUCUS , AKOGUN TOLA ADENIYI AND THE YORUBA GLOBAL ALLIANCE, DR OLAJIDE, CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE YORUBA ELDERS COUNCIL, CHIEF C.O ADEBAYO AND THE KWARA TEAM AND ALL YORUBA GROUPS, FOR ALL THEIR MORAL AND PRATICAL SUPPORT. OKUN IS PROUDLY YORUBA AND PART OF THE GREAT OMOLUABI FAMILY. OODUA A GBE WA O. THANK YOU.

11. OKUN PEOPLE ARE ALSO GRATEFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE BELT AND THE LEGAL TEAM OF THE MIDDLE BELT FORUM FOR THEIR MORAL AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT.

12. ALL OF US NEED TO BE ALIVE AND SECURE BEFORE WE CAN TALK OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. COMMUNITIES MUST BE VIGILANT AND QUICKLY REPORT SUSPICIOUS CASES TO SECURITY. STILL, ORGANISE YOURSELVES AND BE READY TO DEFEND YOUR LAND AGAINST THOSE WHO TRY TO STEAL IT, YOUR LIVES AGAINST THOSE WHO ATTEMPT TO KIDNAP AND KILL YOU , PROTECT YOUR FARMS AGAINST THOSE WHO TRY TO DESTROY YOUR CROPS, AS A FORM OF FIRST AID BEFORE SECURITY PEOPLE COME. NEVER GO AND ATTACK ANYBODY BUT VE READY TO TAKE DEFENSIVE ACTION. SECURITY AGENCIES CANNOT DO IT ALONE. WE MUST ASSIST THEM AS THEY MUST BE RESPONSIVE TO OUR NEEDS. THAT WAY, WE SECURE OUR PEACE. .MAY THE GOD OF ALL FLESH, TO WHOM NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOIMSSIBLE, DELIVER US AND KEEP US SAFE

cc: lalasticlala

Gumi, the bandit father , or naa bandit instructor.......

The DSS should focus its attention on the major sources of insecurity across this failed nation and leave citizens calling out ineptitude.Nothing new.The DSS collude with these terrorists otherwise they would have contain this widespread deteriorating insecurity.

If the DSS have been proactive, this Okun man won't have come out to cry out loud.

Security agencies in Nigeria have done little about this fulanis herdsmen wahala