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Leaders of thought in Yoruba land have asked South West governors to sweep terrorism out of the region.
The leaders, in a statement signed by Otunba Demi Osibogun and Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, were reacting to Sunday’s terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, Ondo State.
The leaders, who made a seven-point presentation to tackle the security challenges in the South West, asked Ondo State Governor and Chairman, South West Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, to lead the campaign on “Operation sweep terrorism out of Yoruba land,” being the latest victim of terrorist attack.
“The leaders of Yoruba land are worried and wondering about the inability of the security agencies to nip all of these insecurity occurrences in the bud, and cannot believe why many of these herders who are Fulani terrorists (whether real or disguised), have never been apprehended or prosecuted.
“The operation sweep terrorism out of yoruba land must not stop at their arrests but must also proceed towards the diligent prosecution of their cases which ordinarily attracts death penalty for their murderous activities.
“No culprits once apprehended must be tranfered to Abuja where often times they are never tried but released to embark again on their aborted missions. All cases must be tried and prosecuted in Yoruba land where the crimes are committed,” the leaders said.
The leaders asked the governors to temporarily ban all commercial motorcycles in all South West states for 10 months, saying it would help respective state governments to establish appropriate regulations for its operations or pass law for its total ban.
“Each state Slsecurity councils in conjunction with all LG Council areas in line with their statutory constitutional mandates should commence an immediate residency registration programme of all security personel in each state.
“Each state government must establish a law or an edict for the Clcompulsory registration of neighbourhood associations, and collaborate with the Police Community Relations Associations in each divisional Police headquarters. Similarly, Security Outfits operating across all the 137+19 LGs in SW including Kogi(12), Kwara(5) & Edo(2) must be registered. In this regard, the Governors of Kogi and Kwara must be coopted to avoid a breach of security or loopholes from their areas.
“The proposed operation sweep terrorism out of Yoruba land must be coordinated in conjunction with Amotekun , OPC, Agbekoya, Yoruba Hunters Association and our farmers union,” the leaders added.
The Yoruba leaders proposed a 30-day period of evaluation and implementation of the seven- point presentation made to the governors, stressing that “they can be implemented on behalf of innocent yoruba sons and daughters who now live in daily fear and those in diaspora who are too scared to return home.”
“Any further massacre in Yoruba land as a result of the non-implementation of these seven demands must henceforth be squarely blamed on the governors,” they concluded.