Mary Onyia
Governor of Ondo State, has condemned in its strongest term the incidence at Igangan in Ibarapa, in Oyo state, in the early hours of Sunday morning where 15 people died and properties burnt, while calling on the South- west Security Network, Amotekun, to convene a meeting with a view to commencing joint operations immediately.
He gave this directive at a meeting of the six South-West governors.
In his statement, Mr Akeredolu said a joint security meeting will be held to review the security situation in the South-west.
“While we will encourage the security agencies to get to the root of this latest act of provocation, we have directed the Commanders of the South West Security Network, Amotekun, to convene a joint security meeting of all Commanders in the South West with a view to commencing joint operations in the region immediately.”
He said “certain elements are bent on causing friction among the peoples of this country with the sole aim of achieving a pernicious end. They will stop at nothing until their set goal is realized. It is, therefore, incumbent on all lovers of peace and freedom to rise against this current regression into savagery.”
“We on our part are resolved to defend our people, their property, and all legitimate means of livelihood against both internal and external aggression. On this, there will be no compromise. We call on our people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their communities. In addition, they must be united in the task of defending our lives and properties. We cannot afford to fail,” he said.
The governors while pleading for calm assured the residents that the security operatives were on top of the situation.
The attack on Igangan comes months after a self-acclaimed activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, led a crowd to Igangan to eject the head of the Fulani community there, Salihu Abdulkadir.
He accused Mr Abdulkadir of backing criminal herdsmen whom he alleged were responsible for the kidnapping and killing of farmers and residents of the community. Mr Abdulkadir denied the allegation but he was nonetheless forcefully ejected from a community he had lived in for decades.
The federal and Oyo State governments frowned at the development, saying no citizen has the right to eject other citizens from wherever they wished to reside in the country.
Igangan residents suspect that the latest attack was a retaliation for the eviction of Mr Abdulkadir.