Senator, Yoruba groups condemn attack on Igangan community

The member representing Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ajibola Muraina on Monday condemned the dastard attack on Igangan community which led to the massacre of several innocent citizens including children.

He expressed the concern during an empathy visit to Igangan on Sunday to commiserate with his constituents, residents and people of Igangan. The attack by suspected Fulani bandits and herdsmen left an unconfirmed number of indigenes dead and the palace of Asigangan, the Oba of Igangan as well as other personal properties and business premises burnt.

According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Olubunmi Sodipo, the federal lawmaker was a first responder whose call mobilized the security agents.

While addressing his people at Igangan, Hon. Muraina assured them that he would do all that is in his power to ensure that the criminals face the wrath of the law and that the victims and their families are compensated, even as he had petitioned the presidency recently.

Furthermore, Hon. Muraina appealed to the people during the empathy visit to the monarch saying: “We should not play politics with the security situation in Ibarapaland, it is something we should put our minds together and speak with one mouth rather than following those who see the security challenges as opportunities to play dirty politics.

“Once I was called about the incident early this morning, I alerted the soldiers (earlier stationed in that axis) and they responded quickly to stem the tide of carnage intended by the criminal assailants. Let us thank them.

“Those who called me early this morning to inform me and who later confirmed the presence and response of the soldiers are amongst us here.

“Since two years ago, our predominantly agrarian people cannot freely go to their farms and they have remained largely unemployed as a result of the serious security challenges. Despite the fact that the serious insecurity challenges continued till May this year, the Governor of Oyo State came to Ibarapaland last week and said that the Ibarapas can now sleep with both eyes closed.

“Instead of standing up and speaking the truth – that it is not so, the Ibarapas there were clapping and applauding. If outsiders are playing politics with our lives and livelihood, the rape of our women and the killings of our illustrious sons, the depletion of our financial resources by ransom payments, should we also – true sons and daughters of Ibarapa – join them in this? No.

“The right to security of lives and properties is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution. We should courageously demand our rights at all times and from anyone who owes us a duty no matter how highly placed,” he said.

Killings, another evidence of Nigeria’s progressive descent into anarchy

In the same vein, the Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative (TYLPI) on Monday asked the Federal Government to take immediate steps to identify and bring those behind Sunday’s killing to book.

In a statement signed by its Director of Publicity and Media Affairs, Mr Tunde Ipinmisho, TYLPI expressed dismay that more than 24 hours after the incident, the Federal Government had not issued a statement to either acknowledge or condemn the dastardly act.

Describing Sunday’s incident as a new low in the undeclared war against the nation by those hiding under the cover of darkness to do evil, the group blamed the continued killings by such persons across the country on the absence of robust consequences for lawlessness.

TYLPI, which condemned the wanton killing of defenceless citizens who were sleeping in their homes in the dead of the night warned that the inaction of the authorities could lead to reprisals and repeated circles of violence in the country.

It said the latest killings were another evidence of the nation’s gradual slide into anarchy since 2015 and appealed to those who still have some political clout to leverage it to encourage the authorities to live up to their responsibilities especially regarding the basic protection of life and property.

According to the group, the voices of reason and caution in the country were becoming untenable and were being gradually drowned by those of disintegration in the face of the continued massacre of innocent people and the seeming lack of interest by the federal authorities.

TYLPI said the Igangan killings were another evidence of the nation’s progressive descent into anarchy since 2015, adding that the carnage fell into the same pattern with the gory killings experienced in Benue, Plateau and Taraba States as well as in the southern part of Kaduna State. It warned that such bloodletting across the country suggested a virtual abdication of responsibility by the government.

The group also decried the continued decline in the respect for the sanctity of life in the country, adding that such respect was the hallmark of a civilized society.

TYLPI warned that the country stood the risk of becoming a failed state if the ugly trend was not reversed and urged the Federal Government to buckle up and restore peace to all parts of the country.

Yoruba in Diaspora group to hold rally in 174 countries on June 12

Meanwhile, the apex Yoruba Diaspora group, Yoruba One Voice (YOV), on Monday said the attack had been pre-determined by evil forces.

YOV said this in a statement by its publicity secretary, Mrs Omoladun Orolugbagbe, even as it accused the Federal Government following its failure to tackle the spate of insecurity in the country.

This was just as the group disclosed that it would hold an international rally across the six continents to sensitise the world on the clamour for the liberation of the Yoruba race, saying all arrangements had been concluded on the rally slated to hold on Saturday, June 12 across 174 countries in the world.

YOV also condemned the Federal Government’s ban on Twitter, insisting that the action was never the best solution, stressing that the platform was for the elites, private individuals and top firm and organisations with zeal for quality information dissemination and drive for standard.

Speaking on the Igangan attack, the organisation in the statement said information at its disposal revealed that those that perpetrated the evil massacre were in military attires, adding that the attack was well-coordinated without any trace.

According to YOV, the recent killings in Ibarapa portend grave danger to all the people of the town and also to the economy of the state as farmers could no longer go to their farm anymore, saying those of them living abroad had lost faith in this country due to the fear of being kidnapped or killed as happening currently in Nigeria.

“You begin to wonder the level of the killings. The videos spreading online showed gory incidents and pictures of how innocent people were killed and massacred in the most gruesome manner. Cars and houses were razed, however, the police have yet to unravel those behind the incident and several others that have made the South-West region volatile for residents,

“In Igangan, Oke Ogun and some parts of Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, farmers could no longer go to their farms. The recent killings in Ibarapa portend grave danger to all the people of the town and also to the economy of the state because if farmers don’t go to the farm, there is danger lurking around.

“Those of us living abroad have lost faith in this country because of the fear of being kidnapped or killed as it is presently in Nigeria. For us in Diaspora, coming back home now needs a lot of prayers, information, including security tips. No one is safe coming back home and that is why we want our own nation where life could be meaningful and worthy of living. How can you explain the killings, kidnapping and banditry, that have turned Nigeria to a ‘no-go- area?” the group queried.

On the planned rally, YOV maintained that there was no time other than now for the organisation to support the clamour for the secession of Yoruba from Nigeria, adding that Yoruba in the Diaspora were daily worried with the spate of insecurity back home in Nigeria.

“June 12 has always been a historic day in the annals of Nigeria. It symbolises total freedom from military rule. It connotes liberation from military jingoism and nothing more. So we are holding the rally to lend our voices to the growing calls and clamour for the Yoruba nation,” it said.

“Yoruba in the diaspora are getting our feedbacks daily and we monitor events in Nigeria as they unfold. We can’t wait to see the rebirth of a nation where we can call our home. Our calls for self-determination are reflections of peoples’ wishes.

“So, on Saturday, June 12, we want to send messages to the global communities and leaders of the world that the rally is legitimate. We are going all the way to seek our freedom from Nigeria and nothing more. Buhari’s administration lacks the moral right to determine whether we should remain in Nigeria or not because he had, in the last six years promoted huge nepotism, corruption, injustice, and lack of fairness and disunity,” YOV stated.

The group, however, called on the international communities such as America, Britain, European Union, Asia, African Union, United Nation and others to work out a well defined and articulate modality for ethnic nationalities that were ready to exit from Nigeria, saying this would also help to prevent an imminent war that could lead to over 250 million Nigerians becoming refugees of other nations.

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