The Pan Yoruba Socio-political group, Afenifere, has carpeted Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, over his claim that the ongoing insecurity in the country particularly kidnapping and banditry were being exaggerated by Nigerians.
The General Assembly of the group on Tuesday at the Akure home of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, who berated Prof. Osinbajo over the comment made on Sunday while addressing some Nigerians in New York, maintained that the growing trends of insecurity in the country is an indication of a failed state, particularly with the recent security alerts issued by the United Kingdom and United States of America to their citizens over security threats in most parts of the country.
While stating that the development calls for concern, the group stressed that it does not reflect truthfulness on the part of the Vice-President as “Yorubaland is Still Under Siege” as well the continued “traumatization of our people by Fulani herdsmen/kidnappers/militia all across the Six states in the zone as well as Kwara and Kogi States.”
Recall that the Vice President had during a town hall meeting in New York on Sunday evening while responding to questions and comments as regards “high rate of killings and kidnappings” in the country stated that, “With respect to general kidnapping which we have seen in parts of the country, again, this is not entirely new.
In fact, some of the kidnapping stories you read or listen to are simply not true anywhere, some are fuelled by politics.
At the meeting, Osinbajo added that, “There are cases of kidnapping, no question at all about that, but some of the more dramatic stories that you hear are simply not true.”
According to the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin who signed the communiqué after the meeting, Afenifere, “frowned at this unfortunate comments by the Vice President who shames the Yoruba people with his very cheap politicking with the lives of Nigerians.”
The communiqué read in parts, “All the reports provided clear indications of failure of state as the security forces have largely incapable or unwilling to safeguard the lives of our people against these Criminals as we are not aware of any of them that has been arrested or is under trial at the moment just as all the Federal Government has done so far is to make excuses for the Boko Haram and Miyetti Allah groups that have been accused of so many crimes against the people of Nigeria.
“It is against this backdrop that the meeting was scandalized by the opportunistic and provocative utterances of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in NewYork on Sunday dismissing the danger we are faced with in Yorubaland as well as by other zones in Nigeria as being “politically motivated.”
“As if he is unaware that we are in a digital world, which explains why America and Britain have issued travel directives to their citizens not travel to more than 2/3 of Nigeria, the VP without much thought for his integrity stated “With respect to general kidnapping which we have seen in parts of the country ,again, this is not entirely new. In fact, some of the kidnapping stories you read or listen to are simply not true anywhere, some are fueled by politics.”
Afenifere added that even the presidency cannot shy away from the pervading insecurity in country particularly as it affects the president’s hometown, Daura as well as dignitaries across the country.
“Is the report of the kidnap of a District Head from President Buhari’s town from May 1 till date politically motivated? And was the President speaking of another country when he handed kidnappers on rampage to God?
“Was former Health Minister, Prof Isaac Adewole playing politics when it was announced that his son was kidnapped?
“If he cannot answer these questions, he should kneel before his God and ask for forgiveness for violating “Thou shall not lie” commandment .We further admonish him not to allow whatever ambition and political interest he serves to push him to make such infuriating comments as the No 2 man in the country again.
“As a people who cannot continue to bear what is going on, and we believe it is so with so many communities in Nigeria, meeting made the following demands:
The group however called on President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw from his position as the Patron of Miyetti Allah if he his sincere of tackling the issue of herdsmen attacks in the country.
“We restate our earlier call on Mr. President to separate the office of the President of Nigeria which he occupies from being also the grand patron of Miyetti Allah which we suspect makes it very difficult for security agents to go after members of this group whenever they commit or are accused of crimes.
“There must be immediate enforcement of law and order as an urgent measure to flush out these criminal elements from our society .
“There must be immediate steps taken to rework Nigeria to take it back to the practice of FEDERALISM so that every federating unit can have their police to secure their environment.
“In order to cut the production line of criminals and bandits we must have the practice of Federalism in many key spheres especially the economy so that all units must have the rights to tap whatever is under their soil so that new corridors of prosperity are created to eradicate the massive unemployment in the county so we can cease to be the headquarters of poverty.”
