Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Yoruba socio-cultural group, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) New Era, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in the country to fish out the killers of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
The group in a statement issued in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday and made available to journalists by its National Public Relations Officer, Adeshina Akinpelu, said failure to find the killers after the ultimatum, its members would embark on an operation to drive out all criminally-minded Fulani herdsmen and their accomplices among the Yoruba and other tribes who are perpetrating crimes in all Yoruba speaking states.
Olakunrin was killed by unknown gunmen last Friday on Ore-Sagamu road while coming from a visit from her father in Akure, Ondo State.
According to Akinpelu, “Time has come for us to act now. We will no longer fold our hands and allow herdsmen to continue to kill us like cows. We cannot continue to use the blood of our people to keep Nigeria’s unity. We are therefore giving the police and other security agencies 21-day ultimatum to fish out the killers of Olakunrin.
“Failure to fish out the killers, we will have no other option than to take the destiny of our people in our hands and drive out all criminally-minded Fulani herdsmen and their accomplices among the Yoruba and other tribes perpetrating crimes in Yoruba land.”
The group, while accusing Fulani oligarchy of trying to re-capture Yoruba land after failing in previous attempts in the past, stated that it would resist any attempt to cajole and silence Yoruba leaders for voicing their opinion on insecurity in the country.
According to the OPC, “We are aware that this is part of the grand conspiracy of the Fulani oligarchy to re-capture Yoruba land after failing in previous attempts in the past. These Fulani people were responsible for the fall of first and second Oyo empires through cunning methods. Their third attempt which was real war was met with stiff resistance from the Yoruba people who drove them back after they reached Osogbo.
“The killing of Olakunrin is a part of a grand conspiracy of the Fulani oligarchy to silence some of our leaders from speaking the truth and making critical appraisal of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.”
On Miyetti Allah’s call for the arrest of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, over his open letter to President Buhari, OPC warned the group to stop playing to the gallery and looking for a scapegoat for their atrocities, noting that Obasanjo is not only a leader in Nigeria but an international figure that deserves the respect of all irrespective of tribe.
Akinpelu, however, stated further that the OPC was not in any way surprised by the Miyetti Allah’s call for the arrest of Obasanjo, disclosing that they have a great supporter in President Buhari.
The group then called on governors, elected political office holders and Yoruba leaders to come together and tackle the issue of insecurity in Yoruba land, stating that OPC and over 100 other groups are more than ready to do their part to achieve the needed peace in the South-west region.
