Daily Times
By Tom Okpe
A coalition under the aegis of the Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF), Thursday called on federal and state governments, the National Assembly as well as security agencies to take urgent steps to stop alleged plans by some people to launch series of attacks on security personnel in the South-west states.
The Yoruba group alleged that there were plans by some individuals and groups to smuggle into the South-west the type of wanton violence being inflicted on the people and security agents in the South-east by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra.
The forum also alleged that it had uncovered plans by some so-called ‘freedom fighters’ and secession agitators in the South-west “making efforts to replicate and inflict the same level of violence being visited on the hapless people of the South-East and South-South states by IPOB on our peace-loving people in Yorubaland.”
The forum said the worsening insecurity in the South-east had become more worrisome to the people in the South-west because some unscrupulous elements had been making attempts to smuggle same level of violence into Yorubaland.
The group led by its national coordinator, Adesina Animashaun in a statement made available to Daily Times on Thursday said it organised a motorcade in all states of the south west to kick-start its sensitisation of the people to the alleged evil plans to disorganise the region.
Animashaun, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Service chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, governors of the six South-West states and other major stakeholders in Yorubaland to rise to the challenge and stop the plans by secession agitators to cause unprecedented chaos in the region.
YAF also enjoined the country’s various security agencies, including the military, police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to activate their machineries against these elements in the South-West before the situation degenerates.
“We also petitioned prominent traditional rulers in Yorubaland, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo; Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji and thers.
“It is, therefore, imperative for the federal government to nip the burgeoning insurrection now threatening to arise from the South-West under such a smokescreen, in the bud.
Having another rebellion from the South-West would be one crisis too many for a country still struggling to combat the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, banditry and cattle rustling in the North West and North Central areas as well, the current IPOB militancy in the South-east and South-south.”
