The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has warned Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to stay off security affairs in the South West.
OPC said the call by MACBAN for the inclusion of its members in Amotekun, the security outfit of the South West, was an attempt to infiltrate the security architecture of the region.
OPC’s publicity secretary, Mr. Yinka Oguntimehin, who stated this, yesterday, alleged that MACBAN was out to weaken the South West security outfit and also put the region in a state of perpetual insecurity.
He lambasted leader of Oyo State chapter of the Fulani herders, Ibrahim Jiji, for making such unrealistic request, maintaining that the group lacked the credibility to call for its inclusion into Amotekun.
He urged the Federal Government to beam its searchlight on Jiji for making such a request, adding that no Yoruba group had ever called for inclusion in northern security outfits like HISBAH or the Middle Belt security outfit.
“OPC will never allow Miyetti Allah to set our region on fire. We cannot afford to see the South West facing the kind of security challenges faced daily in the North East and North West. Our group will never fold its arms and see the South West being overrun by herdsmen and marauders. That is why we are warning leaders of the group to desist from their sinister motives and leave Amotekun alone.
“What does these Fulani herders want from us? Do they want to weaken or polarise our security outfit? The call was irrational and unjust, and we will resist any attempt to soil the name of Amotekun.”
He said Amotekun was a child of circumstance and was the South West’s arrangement to curb the spate of insecurity ravaging the region. He said since its inauguration in Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti, the response had been encouraging and that there was the need to support and encourage the outfit in their quest to curb insecurity in the region.
Oguntimehin, however, charged all Yoruba traditional rulers across the region to support Amotekun in their respective domains,stressing that efforts of the Oyo State chapter of Amotekun to secure the state was yielding positive results. He lamented that most of those opposing Amotekun were prominent Yoruba sons and daughters.
“Many of those behind the media propaganda against Amotekun are Yoruba and their target is to soil the image of the region. I want to assure all honest Yoruba sons and daughters that OPC will soon expose those behind the verbal attacks against the South West security outfit.
“I will also commend the governors of Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ogun states for championing the cause for South West safety and security. And I want to appeal to Lagos Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu to fast track the recruitment of the Lagos Amotekun because from our investigations, it is sad that Lagos State still remains the most volatile state. There are signals that killer herdsmen have invaded Lagos. But it is also sad that the South West is full of hypocrites.”
