Adewale Momoh 
Following the spate of insecurity in the Southwest and most parts of the country, the Pan Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has stated that the people were no longer safe. According to Afenifere through its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, with the continued rampage of criminal activists under the guise of herding within the Southwest region has become a huge concern among residents causing sleepless nights. Odumakin said that “the Fulani orchestrated insecurity has taken over the Southwest and people cannot sleep with their two eyes closed. Our women are being raped and people are being killed on a daily basis including Obas on the street.
“Our governors are not giving lawful orders. Even the President aides are saying you can’t chase herders out of the forests. “We are completely unsafe. Look at a whole Nobel Laureate. Last weekend, he was trying to ask the president what to do about herdsmen; three days later, they took over his house in Abeokuta.”
The Afenifere Spokesperson added that “And somebody was saying that Soyinka’s house was unfenced. Go to London, go to America; you will see a lot of unfenced houses. Will they go and be keeping cows there because they are unfenced? “Gen Danjuma has already told us two years ago that if we are not ready to defend ourselves, they will kill us one by one.”
Meanwhile, a top security source told a team of journalists yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State capital that the nation’s intelligence community was worried that individuals were beginning to arm themselves for safe defence. “He equally hinted that the Nigeria Police was making efforts to mop up such illegal arms in circulation lately.
“We’ve been getting briefings on the issue of the massive influx of illegal and even prohibited arms and ammunition into the South West lately. We know of course, that there are serious security issues that have often thrown all off balance.
“In the last three months or so, we have been monitoring all possible entry points to know where this major security concern of the influx was coming from. This is not to indict relevant agencies responsible for the manning of entry points.”
