Ibarapa Youths under the aegis of Igangan Development Advocates, on Monday, protested to the Oyo State Governor’s Office and the Oyo State House of Assembly, Secretariat Ibadan, the state capital over insecurity that has been rocking the area in recent time.
Describing Igangan as the epicenter of Fulani banditry and terrorism, the Convener of Igangan Development Advocates, Oladokun Oladiran said Ibarapa youths took the protest to the seat of Oyo State Government to decry the carnage that has been unleashed on Ibarapaland for long.
Oladokun said part of their struggle and advocacy is the demand for the release of the detained OPC members who arrested Iskilu Wakili.
“Some of our heroes who rose up to fight against terrorism are now being incarcerated and they may later be jailed for life, they may be murdered and we don’t want that to happen because if that happens; it’s a message to everybody that injustice is now reigning in place of justice, it’s a message that criminality is now being celebrated.”
“And being valiant is now being discouraged, and we don’t want that message to go into our subconsciousness because if it does, we will decline into a state of anarchy.”
“By this protest, we are protecting the future of our state and Yorùbáland, that’s why we are out. It is not just about the OPC – 3, it’s about the future generations. What message is the state apparatus passing to the masses.” Oladiran stated.
He charged the Oyo State House of Assembly to come out openly through a press conference to denounce incarceration of OPC members that arrested Wakili, and stand for what is right.
Oladiran said: “The State House of Assembly is supposed to checkbalance the state when the state is making errors. We are saying that the Oyo State House of Assembly is also culpable in every error the state government has made. They are complicit. And we are telling them to arise and make laws, not just Anti-Grazing. They have passed a toothless law because the state has failed to execute it.”
He said Fulanis are still grazing their cattle on farmers’ land despite the passed Anti-Grazing law passed by the state House of Assembly.
“The state has failed to pump security power into making sure that the law is effective. This is what has been going on and they keep silent about it.”
“Our people are not afraid to fight, Ibarapa people are not afraid to fight, but we are law abiding citizens.” They are the lawmakers, let them make laws that will help us fight our course. He stated.
He condemned the alleged nonchalant attitude of the Ibarapaland representatives in the state House of Assembly, especially the Speaker of the House, Adebo Ogundoyin, stressing that he has failed woefully to serve his people.
“We have Debo Ogundoyin hiding inside that building and we are asking him to come out. We are telling Debo Ogundoyin as a son of the soil and he has failed to represents Ibarapa; he has failed us woefully. I dare say and I made bold to say that Debo Ogundoyin has failed us woefully. I repeat, he has failed us extremely woefully.”
“How many times has Debo Ogundoyin hosted town hall meetings across Ibarapaland on the issue of insecurity? When Debo Ogundoyin is coming to Ibarapa, he has to bribe some people not to be hostile towards him. He has to go by the cover of the night to be giving money to some youths not to be hostile the following day when they see him because he knows he deserves hostility from the people of Ibarapa.”
“We are saying it’s not too late for him to turn a new leaf. We are saying his position is not for him to go to night clubs; his position is for him to defend the land. He is put in that position for a time like this to arise and fight for his people and if he fails in that duties, posterity will judge him. That’s our message to him.” Oladiran concluded.
All efforts to speak with the Speaker by Penangle correspondent as at the time of filing this report proved abortive. However, while talking on behalf of his principal, the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media, Oyekunle Oyetunji said the speaker held two security summits in Ibarapaland and the recommendations at the summits were presented to Governor Seyi Makinde.
He said the Speaker gave his assurance to the protesters that there would not be miscarriage of justice for the concerned three OPC members, stressing that it was the stance of the Oyo State Government too.
Oyekunle said: “On the security situation in Ibarapaland, the Speaker again assured that all the stakeholders will continue to work round the clock to ensure that the situation gets better and insecurity is addressed.”