We will join hands with govt to fight insecurity in Ondo ― Ebira Community

The Ebira community in Ondo State has resolved to join hands with the state government to wage war against criminality, just as the leaders of the Ebira warned against stigmatizing any ethnic groups as responsible for the kidnappings in the state.

The decision of the ethnic group is coming on the heels of the warning from Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to Ebiras living in the state to flush out criminals among them, urging them to join hands with the government in ridding the state of crime and criminals.

The leadership of the Ebira who stated this during a press conference noted that the fight against insecurity will be difficult to win if political leaders continue to politicize the sensitive issue.

Addressing newsmen during a press conference, on behalf of the Ebira people from Kogi State living in Ondo State, Barrister Abiodun Umoru, while reading the communique, expressed the readiness of the people to join hands with the state government to fight any forms of criminality in the state.

Umoru who said the press conference became necessary after the meeting between the state government and the Ebira community in which they were accused of not putting their houses in order in the area of security in the state, said some steps have been taken by the group to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.

The group who said they are not ready in any way to support or defend any of their kinsmen arrested for crime said such persons should be reported to appropriate authorities.

They, however, called on security agencies to always carry out thorough and verifiable investigations before going to the press as their intelligence gathering, investigations and conclusions are always open for public evaluation and analysis.

They particularly pointed out the listing of one Idris Ojo who was an escapee from Kuje prison that was attacked on July 5, 2022, in the list of those arrested for carrying out the massacre in Owo on June 5, 2022, a month after and lauded Governor Akeredolu, for making the clarification shortly after the list was released by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen. Lucky Irabor.

He said: “We advise security agencies in the country to always extend their intelligence and investigative tentacles for a thorough investigation of crimes so as to come up with clear-cut conclusions which will command public interest and trust.

“That for proper identification and documentation, we advise that henceforth, our political leader, the Special Assistant (Ebira) to the Governor should be invited to interrogate in Ebira language any suspect arrested in any part of the state that claims to be an Ebira person.

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“Our plan is to periodically present such data collected from arrested suspects to our paramount ruler, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, for tracing, invitation and interrogation of their parents at the palace of Ohinoyi in Okene, Kogi state.”

Umoru disclosed that as part of steps to address stigmatizing its people with criminality, politicians who have cultivated the habit of importing Ebira youths from their state to Ondo State as political thugs would be exposed to the security agents and government while Ebira leaders are ready to deal decisively with such youths.

They, however, pleaded with the state government to establish Amotekun posts in some communities which are predominantly inhabited by their people and enlist their interested youths in the state agency to secure the villages which are predominantly occupied by Ebira people.

The ethnic group also banned all Ebira traditional festivals from being held in any part of Ondo State, saying anybody who wishes to hide under traditional festivals to perpetrate evil in the state will be handed over to the security agents.

He said “we can no longer fold our arms while some of our kinsmen will be acting against our cherished cultural norms and values.

“We have warned and educated our women who sell food items at strategic locations on the major roads on the dangers of hobnobbing with suspected criminals by volunteering information to them.

“They have been admonished to report any suspicious movement of unknown persons where they live, work and play to their village heads and the security agents nearer to them.

“We use this medium to appreciate the present administration for its tireless efforts at reducing the rate of crimes and criminality across the state. We pledge not to relent in our commitment to continue to contribute our quota to the socio-economic and political development of the Sunshine state.”