Afenifere, Akeredolu: We won’t compromise South-West security

PAN-YORUBA organisation, Afenifere, and the chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, have declared that the security of lives and property of the people of the South West remains important to the governments of the region. 

Akeredolu, while reacting to the allegation of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) that the state security outfit, Amotekun, was being used arbitrarily against northerners in the state, said security remained one of the pillars of his administration and he would not relent in investing in the security of lives and property without discrimination. 

The AYCF had earlier on Friday alleged harassment of northerners in Ondo State. The group, in a statement by its national president, Yerima Shettima, took a swipe at the Ondo State government for “looking the other way while northerners get arrested by armed militia disguised as Amotekun on trumped-up charges.” 

It also condemned the activities of “armed gangs masquerading as security agents in a nation where the police, the DSS, NSCDC and others are the only recognised enforcers of law and order.” 

The AYF said: “If the people of Northern Nigeria had taken the same path of extrajudicial harassment, by now no indigene of Ondo State would be living and doing business in the region. We have had enough of this unbridled harassment and intimidation of northerners in Ondo State and we are beginning to see that the disposition of the state governor is what has emboldened extrajudicial militia outfits to make innocent northerners in Ondo the butt of shameful intimidation.” 

Speaking through the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, Akeredolu dismissed the northern youths as not worthy of his government’s response, saying: “Governments are responsible entities and cannot be seen to be responding to rabble-rousing irritants.” 

The Secretary-General of Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni, also said: “The youths don’t deserve my comment. They need to be more educated as youths. I don’t take them seriously. Afenifere relates with their fathers, not the youths.” 

Also, the Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Mr Kole Omololu, said Yerima Shettima and his group should not be taken so seriously. Omololu said: “The so-called Arewa Youth Consultative Forum is a newspaper creation. They do not operate beyond the pages of newspapers and social media. 

“Governor Akeredolu of Ondo State has displayed tremendous courage in dealing with bandits and never-dowell criminals.

“Criminals making the jungle/the forest reserve their place and committing evil crimes should be shot like wild animals. Amotekun is to protect the lives of law-abiding citizens. 

“Shasha market in Akure is an open market for everyone but dominated by northerners. They rely on Amotekun to give them security, which they do. These youths are just looking for publicity. They are looking for a way to attack the governor because of his stand on the southern presidency come 2023. 

“Ondo has become the safest state in Nigeria because of Amotekun. Any attempt to import evil into the South West will be vigorously resisted. The government and governor of Ondo State have Afenifere’s backing in their efforts to crush satanic tendencies. 

“The killing of Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Afenifere leader, Chief [Reuben] Fasoranti and the kidnap of our leader, Chief Olu Falae, are still fresh in our mind. The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum should educate their kinsmen on the law on herding in Ondo State. The threat by the Arewa youths might not be unconnected with the recent arrest of some youths from the northern part of the country whose truck was intercepted by Amotekun officials. 

“The truck was loaded with about 63 men from the north hiding inside the truck with cows, rams and motorcycles. The suspects, who claimed to have left Gigawa in Gombe State and heading to Lagos before they were stopped and arrested by Amotekun officials, were hiding between cows and some motorcycles in the truck.”