Let’s save Ilorin from criminals —IEDPU president

THE Ilorin Emirate Descendants’ Progressive Union, IEDPU, an umbrella body of all socio –cultural organisation in Ilorin emirate, has asked members of various communities in the emirate to expose members of secret cult in their areas.

The union lamented that over 30 persons had so far been killed in the last six months in various brutal attacks carried out by rival cult groups in various parts of the state.

The union also asked the communities to name those involved in the sales of liquor and those involved in smoking of cannabis sativa and other prohibited substances as one of the steps towards eradicating the societal vices.

Addressing a security stakeholders meeting held at the union’s national secretariat in Ilorin, its national president, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi, expressed sadness that Ilorin emirate which was hitherto known for peace and harmony had been turned into theatre of war.

“Level of criminality is getting worrisome within the metropolis .In the last 6 months more than 30 lives were lost due to cult activites.

“Notorious areas include Agbo -Oba, Gada, Edun,Gambari, and Ajikobi. The latest ones about two weeks ago were at Okesuna, Stadium etc”, he said.

Adi, spoke further that the union conveyed the stakeholders meeting to rub minds with stakeholders on how to nip the alarming trend in the bud.

As a step toward addressing the menace, Chairman, IEDPU Security committee, Ambassador Usman Abduazeez, said unless members of every community volunteer to purge their areas of crimes the anti-cult war and other prevailing security challenges might be difficult to win.

He urged every community to come up with the lists of suspected cult members and criminal for security agencies to act upon.

Abdulazeez, however, warned people against taking laws into their hands, stressing that they must, at all times, act within the confines of the law.

The meeting was attended by Divisional Police Officers, representatives of Department of State Security Services, vigilante and Metro security initiatives set up by the IEDPU in various communities.