Ikorodu killings: OPC has capacity to repel militants – Adams

NATIONAL Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has described recent killing of Yoruba inhabitants in Ikorodu area of Lagos and part of Ogun State by some Ijaw miscreants tagged militants as unfortunate, but quickly vowed that the OPC had the capacity to repel them should such act continue.

 

Adams gave the vow in Lagos during an interactive session with newsmen, recalling that this was not the first time that the criminals from Niger Delta would test the OPC’s capacity and regrets their action.

 

According to the OPC leader, when they tried it for the first time in Ajegunle area of Lagos, his group, OPC ruthlessly dealt with them, warning that it was high time for every Nigerian living anywhere to comport with the tradition and custom of the area he or she found himself or herself.

 

“With what has happened now, we have realised that there is a lot of threat  surrounding the South West.

 

“We are still talking about the menace of herdsmen and another people masquerading as kidnappers or militants started to kill our people to the extent that the Ogun State deputy governor came to the area and they chased her security and the police could not do anything.

 

“The law enforcement agents should tell the whole world how many of the criminals that they have arrested after more than 50 people have been massacred,” Adams said.

 

Otunba Adams, while promising that the OPC would be ready to confront the attackers, however, demanded that the group would need the support of the entire Yoruba.

 

This he said was necessary because of recent past experience has thought the organisation bitter lesson where they were maligned by some Yoruba leaders especially politicians.

 

This was just as he expressed shocked to learn that the attackers of the Yoruba inhabitants in Ikorodu were Ijaw people who he said in their struggle for better condition in their region had received the support of the Yoruba people.

 

“We never antagonised them, we continued to push for their interest, even at the last National Conference, we gave them more than enough backing and most of the people that come from the Niger Delta have the training in human rights activism from Lagos here. So I am shock that they are now attacking the Yoruba people,” the OPC leader said.

 

Speaking further, Otunba Adams recalled that the killing of Yoruba inhabitants did not only happen in Ikorodu area but had been happening in other riverine areas of Lagos and Ogun, urging the Yoruba leaders to wake up from their slumbers and foster unity among themselves.

 

Adams, who noted that the Yoruba had neglected the OPC for a long time, warned that the danger lurking around was not a matter of press conference but required serious planning.

 

“They have called us names especially after our peaceful protests against Professor Attahiru Jega’s bad preparation for the last elections, but here we are.

 

“So, what happened in Ikorodu has been happening all over the riverine places. Ikorodu was just pronounced because of the highest figure of causalities. It happened in many other areas in Ibafo axis.

 

“I can tell you authoritatively that some of the communities have turned to ghost communities especially the Ebute area. I think the target of the attackers is their determination to take over all the communities beside riverine areas,” Adams said.