The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has called on Nigerians to stand together against blood guzzlers and enemies of the state, nature, and sound reasoning, who take solace in the mindless killings of innocent souls.
This, he said, would reinforce collective will, to completely snatch the country and destiny from the jaws of insanity and barbarism, just as socio-cultural orientations that uphold the sanctity of life and the intrinsic dignity of the human person must never be surrendered to the ungodly.
Oba Owoade gave the admonition on the heels of recent killings of some people who were of Yoruba extraction by those suspected of being Fulani herdsmen at Oke Ode area in Kwara State.
Disturbed about this ugly development, and putting into consideration the fact that Yorubas and Fulanis had for decades been living harmoniously without let or hindrance, Alaafin had contacted the Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, on the incident and how best he could come in to nip the criminal onslaught of the bandits in the bud.
In his response, the governor lauded Alaafin for his concern and visionary style of administration and, as the Titan of Yorubaland, assured the Paramount Ruler that a battalion of soldiers had been deployed to the scene of the gory incident.
The Alaafin, who lamented about the mindless killings masterminded by suspected Fulani herdsmen, wondered why the herdsmen became threats to peace and security, adding that they had long been in existence without serious criminal records, as is presently the case.
Oba Owoade enjoined the federal government to ensure that all those found culpable in the mindless killings in Kwara State are brought to justice and to serve as a credible deterrence.
“Government, political leaders and followers, and all of us, must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our current state of insecurity, underpinned by criminality, insurgency and, of recent, terrorism by herdsmen.
“Our leaders and followers should not take the issue of security for granted, but ensure that urgent and immediate steps are taken to consciously respond to current threats by architectural designing and building a security system which would create a stable and relatively peaceful environment, conducive to national development.
“We must accept that while it is necessary to create unity in diversity, we must identify and respect our differences, which is diversity in unity”.
