Insecurity: We are completely unsafe ― Afenifere

With the spate of insecurity in the south-west region and across the country, the Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere has said the insecurity is getting out of control, saying Nigerians are completely unsafe.

The Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, who expressed concerns over indiscriminate killings by sundry cartels of gunmen, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery and other violent crimes which are rampant in many parts of the country.

Odumakin noted that the Fulani herdsmen have taken over the southwest region and said: “We are completely unsafe”.

“The Fulani orchestrated insecurity has taken over the Southwest and people cannot sleep with their two eyes closed, our women are being raped and people are being killed on a daily basis including Obas on the street.

“Our governors are not giving lawful orders, even the President aides are saying you can’t chase herders out of the forests.

“We are completely unsafe. Look at a whole Nobel Laureate, last weekend, he was trying to ask the President what to do about herdsmen, three days later they took over his house in Abeokuta.

“And somebody was saying that Soyinka’s house was unfenced. Go to London, go to America, you will see a lot of unfenced houses. Will they go and be keeping cows there because they are fenced,” he said

He said Nigerians may resolve to defend themselves from the armed bandits saying “General Danjuma has already told us some two years ago that if we are not ready to defend ourselves, they will kill us one by one.”

However, a top security source confided with a team of journalists in Akure, on Thursday that the nation’s intelligence community was worried that some individuals have begun to arm themselves for self-defence.

The security officer said this might not be unconnected with the mop-up exercise of illegal arms from circulation by Nigerian Police lately.

“We have been getting briefings on the issue of the massive influx of illegal and even prohibited arms and ammunition into the south-west lately. We know of course, that there are serious security issues that have often thrown all off balance.

“In the last three months or so, we have been monitoring all possible entry points to know where this major security concern of the influx was coming from. This is not to indict relevant agencies responsible for the manning of entry points.

“But clearly, individuals in the south-west have tilted towards self-defence even to the extent of arming themselves with prohibited weapons and this is an unpleasant situation. That is not allowed legally bit from all indications, that is the route people are gravitating towards, self-defence.

“From our preliminary observations, at least, four of every ten families in the Southwest are prepared for self-defence. Invariably, we are sitting on a keg of gun powder because no one knows where the first trigger will be pulled.

“That is why we are engaging all stakeholders secretly, especially the press to be circumspect in its reportage by adding ethnic colouration to criminality and crimes anywhere.

“Under the situation or scenario that has just been given, there could be unintended consequences arising from mistaken behaviour on the part of those who are illegally armed for self-defence.”

But the State Police Command denied the influx of arms into the state, saying security agents have been monitoring every activities and movement of people into the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Tee Leo Ikoro, said: “There was nothing of such and I will also call other divisions to know what they know about the incident.”

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