Tunde Bakare
A two day summit on security and livelihood in Western Nigeria by Yoruba Assembly in collaboration with Pan Yoruba Groups in Lagos has recognized that security of live and property is essential for democracy and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Participants at the event representing artisan and professional groups, self determination and Pan Yoruba groups expressed worry about the state of insecurity in Western Nigeria which comes in the form of kidnapping, ritual killing, murder, invasion and sacking of communities and farmlands;
In a communique issued at the of the event, participants notes that the current situation has seen the most brutal forms of murder, rape, adoption, merciless killings of people on their ancestral land never before witnessed by our people since 1914;
They said these criminal activities are perpetrated by armed nomadic elements and other terrorists who thrive in blood-letting and creating a state of siege on Yoruba territories, adding that the armed terrorists are spread across South West territories without exception given the semblance of an encircled people conceived as a plot of impending armed invasion of South West territories;
They said the people are crying, in pains and agonies and have almost given up due to the contempt and nonchalant attitude of politically exposed persons who have access to official or private security at public expense;
The communique noted that the South West is currently facing asymmetric war which may be aggravated sooner than expected, adding that several
people are being killed, abducted or raped on our highways and community roads, while hundreds have been declared missing by troubled families.
They also noted that traditional institutions are not spared.
The participants expressed disappointment that calls for restructuring of the security architecture have been met with sectional resistance from supporters of the Nigeria garrison state to the peril of the people of the South West;
Delegates note with regret the current political, economic and cultural emasculation of Itsekiri of Delta State and the continuous usurpation to their economic and political rights by state and Federal actors including the forceful delineation of their wards.
This constitutes in itself a threat to the entire people of South West which shall not be allowed to continue and that apart from insecurity arising from terrorism, armed threats and attacks, hunger, starvation, lack of jobs, loss of jobs are major obstacles to sustainable development, peace and co-existence in the South West;
They said the current political leadership is unfortunately isolated from the real cultural and social movements in Yorubaland to their own peril. The people contend daily with exclusion and contempt from those who rode to power on the crest of Yoruba identities identifies the anger and frustration of the people are running out which in part informed the gathering of this magnitude by the people to chart a new course for the security of the people of the South West;
Participants condemn the mob killing of six people in Edo State but also note that Uromi has been a very peaceful community, saying the attacks may have been motivated by the lack of confidence in security institutions and informed by spontaneous fear driven by the ceaseless killings and kidnapping Uromi people have been subjected to in the past 15 years;
“That we recognize the efforts made by the Federal and State Governments to fight terrorism, but such efforts may have reduced terrorism but have not stopped and does not look as if it will stop the upsurge in terrorism” said the communique.
Part of their resolution is that the people of the South West will take all reasonable measures recognized by international laws to protect and defend their land in accordance with Universal principles of self-determination, asking the over 1000 communities in the South West should organise themselves in collaboration with State security institutions to prevent terrorists and armed non state actors from killing and destruction of their farmland;
The Amotekun has tried to deal with terrorism but that the organisation is not well equipped to effectively address the problem and as such state in the South West should stop recruiting politicians but real Pan Yoruba actors to Amotekun in the bid to deal with terrorism and other crimes;
They called on governments in Western Nigeria to build the capacity of Amotekun with modern security equipment to enable them to perform effectively.