Afenifere takes tough stand against herdsmen in Yorubaland

Following violent attacks by herdsmen in Oyo and other Yoruba states, pan-Yoruba-socio political organisation, Afenifere, has vowed to take steps to safeguard lives and property of its people.

The group made their position on the vexed issue known in a two-page communiqué it issued after a one-day summit entitled, “Yoruba nation: For a better today and tomorrow” held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

In the communiqué jointly signed by Messrs Jare Ajayi and Kehinde Ayoola, the group said, “Security challenges of today are quite unprecedented because of herdsmen attacks, Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, and so on. Afenifere shall take steps to safeguard the lives and property in Oyo State and Yorubaland in general.”

The body added that it was going to reconcile warring Yoruba factions beginning from Oyo State so that the people will have broad consensus on important issues affecting the race.

A retired archbishop of the Methodist Church, Akure, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, who was the guest speaker at the summit, said there was need for the Yoruba nation to re-define its status.

“This indeed is not the first time in history when we, the Yoruba, feel strongly about re-examining our future in the federation, under the political dispensation in which the principles, tenets, and practice of democracy have been steadily assaulted, eroded and subverted.

READ ALSO: ‘Without the North, Nigeria can never survive’- ACF

“We, the Yoruba, are inherently a democratic people who tolerate and respect dissent. But, our collective future could be in peril. We therefore owe it to ourselves and to our collective future to reason together and march together in these perilous times, so as to ensure that when our political and economic interests are threatened as they have been for long, we shall speak with one voice, and pitch our tent together for our collective sanity, security and safety,” he said.

Attacks by herdsmen in Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, have often left some indigenes of the states killed.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Chief Olu Falae has had run-ins with the suspected herdsmen, as he was once kidnapped, and a part of his farm located in Ondo State was invaded and burnt by the same hoodlums also suspected to be herdsmen.

 

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now