James Sowole in Akure
The pan-Yoruba socio-political Group, Afenifere, on Tuesday warned the federal government to stop inviting the military to take over power in the country in view of the deployment of military operations in several parts of the country.
The Afenifere’s warning was contained in a communique issued at the end of its monthly meeting held at the house of its national leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti at Ijapo area of Akure, the state capital.
Reading the communique, the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, condemned the recent announcement by the military to launch Operation Crocodile Smile in the South West region of the country to confront the badoo menace.
He noted that the Python Dance in the South-east has been largely condemned locally and internationally
“We stated that the badoo gang has been decimated by the Nigeria Police and the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in the area where it had occurred. We think if the group resurgences, it is the duty of the police to deal with it without causing tension, invasion and harassment as it happened in the South east in the ongoing Operation Python Dance.
“We insist that the military has no duty in going after badoo even if it comes back. We want the federal government to be careful at the spate at which they deployed solders all over the country. The other day, the Speaker of the House of Representatives lamented that 28 out of 36 states of the country are under one military operation or the other,†he said.
Odumakin said the South-west has been adjudged as the most peaceful area of the country and to now bring military here is to say that the entire country is not safe adding that they are sending a wrong signal to foreign investors.
“The federal government should be reminded before the coup of 1966, this is was how Tafawa Balewa Government started to transfer civil duty to military and the military now said they can take it over themselves.
“The government should be careful. We urged the federal government to tell the military not to bring any operation to South west and to end the Operation Python Dance in the South-east and allow the police to do their duty and not to result to militarisation of the country,†he said.
Afenifere condemned what it described as the desecration of the palace of Olubadan of Ibadan land by hoodlums who invaded his palace and perpetrated violence during the installation of Mogajis in Ibadan.
“This is not direct attack on Olubadan but attack on the sacred institution in Yoruba land ,the value and our culture. It is not acceptable, it so condemnable. We call on the government of Oyo State and the Governor Abiola Ajimobi to immediately lead the effort to get the hoodlums and ensure that they are punished so that it will be a deterrent to others,†Odumakin stated.
 The group also expressed worries by the brewing conflicts between the Ondo State and Osun State which had resulted in the attack of an Osun State Commissioner, Mr. Bola Ilori in Akure.
He said the situation had also led to a retaliatory attack on the Sunshine Stars Football Club in Ogun State.
