Emameh Gabriel in Abuja
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has once again condemned in strong terms Saturday’s attack by terrorists in army uniforms on a farm in Ipapo, Oke ogun, Oyo State, where four people were kidnapped at gunpoint.
In a statement signed by the organisation’s national publicity secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere stated that the circumstances surrounding the attack and how the hoodlums were able to escape with their victims were further justifications for allowing security outfits set up by state governments to be equipped with requisite weapons.
The statement noted that, “heavily armed gunmen numbering about 10 had invaded the farm in the evening of Saturday, October 8, 2022, and abducted 14 people. Ten of them were able to escape while the four still in captivity consisted of three males and one female.
“On the same Saturday, Osun State Police spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola disclosed that Chief Oladepo Asaolu, Babaloja of Ora-Igbomina in Oke-Ila local government area of the state who was kidnapped on October 5, 2022, in his farm was found dead in a bush close to the town.”
Ajayi recalled how another traditional ruler, the Oba of Owa-Onire in the Kwara South Senatorial District, his wife and driver were early in this month abducted by unknown gunmen as confirmed by the spokesman of the State police command, Okasanmi Ajayi.
He continued: “Back to the Iseyin-Ipapo kidnap incident, Chairman of the Farm Settlement Association, Mr. Adepoju, said the gunmen were dressed in army camouflage with high grade weapons.
“A top officer of the local security outfit, Amotekun, who was co-ordinating security in the area but chose to remain anonymous said that they got to the place on time enough to rescue the victims but could not do so because the attackers carried sophisticated weapons including AK47.
“It was difficult for our men to confront them frontally because these assailants carried heavy arms with rounds of bullets around their bodies. It is not unlikely that they even wore bullet-proof jackets whereas the highest weapons in the hands of our officers were Dane guns.”
He insisted that if they had equal arms, the attackers would not have escaped as Amotekun officials were able to prevent the terrorists from causing greater damage, “even with the limited weapons we carried. Were we to be allowed to carry sophisticated weapons that our assignment demands, the hoodlums would have met their waterloo.”
He said questions could also be raised on how the bandits got the army uniforms and the sophisticated they wield.
He said it was on record that a lot of calls had gone to the federal government to allow states that were so desired to set up state police and community police with all the necessary paraphernalia to enable them maintain security in their respective domains.
Among advocates of such calls were Afenifere, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom etc. Southern Governors’ Forum earlier in the year also backed the call for state police. President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has however turned a deaf ear to the calls.
Last month, Akeredolu and Afenifere openly protested the denial of South West Governors’ requests to arm their security outfit, Amotekun, with AK 47 riffles while conceding the same to the Katsina State Government.
