- Govt must unravel those behind these attacks in national interest
Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, has condemned Friday’s attack in Igangan, Ibarapa area of Oyo State.
Adams, who spoke in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said the attack was intended to provoke the residents of the area in order to find an excuse to wreak havoc on the people.
The Yoruba generalissimo, while declaring that the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the southwest security Stakeholders Group(SSSG) will not allow bandits and killer herdsmen to turn Ibarapa to their haven, maintained that the recent killings in Igangan confirmed the alarm raised five days ago by the Oyo state coordinator of the OPC, Rotimi Olumo of a planned attack by gunmen during the festive period.
Aare Adams expressed worry over the spate of killings, saying the governemnt needs to act quickly before matters get out of control.
He said information at his disposal revealed also that the assailants were dressed in customs and army uniforms, even as they were initially repelled by local hunters, which eventually, led to the death of five persons, including a commander of Amotekun corps.
“Friday attack on residents of Igangan truly confirmed the alarm raised five days ago by the Oyo state coordinator of the OPC,Rotimi Olumo. We got the information of the impending attack, and it was widely reported in the media that the killer herdsmen were on another mission to provoke and wreak havoc on residents of Ibarapa, especially, during the festive period, but it is sad that nothing was done by the authorities concerned.
“It is on this note that I urge all the local security in the area to support the security agencies in the state to end the worsening insecurity in the area. We cannot continue to lament the killings of innocent people in Ibarapa and its environs ”
Aare Adams also urged the Federal Government to unravel those behind the recent attack in Ibarapa, maintaining that the OPC and the southwest security Stakeholders Group are ready to offer intelligence reports and updates to the security agencies in order to forestall further attack.
Meanwhile, the Yoruba generalissimo called out the Federal Government on the order that the electronic media should desist from reporting details of terror attacks in the country.
Adams insisted that the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC) attempt to stop reports on terror attack was not in Nigeria’s interest, adding that the order would definitely worsen the security situation in the country.
“Most times, I feel sad with the way the Federal Government handles sensitive security issues with brazen impunity. It shows the FG is on a different page with the people that are mostly victims of these senseless attacks and killings. It is sad that the FG could attempt to
stop the media from reporting details of terror attacks in this time and age.Of what interest is this order to stop or downplay the reports of terror attacks to Nigeria and Nigerians? It is purely not in Nigeria’s interest because the country is seriously facing huge security challenges,
“President Muhammadu Buhari should know now that the greatest challenge of his administration is insecurity and the management of sensitive information, especially, on how best to tackle the security challenges in the country. So for such a government to now press on the NBC to stop the radio and the television from reporting details of terror attacks amounted to putting
the entire nation in the dark, while giving the bandits special leverage and license to maim, destroy and kill innocent people at will”
