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The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), aligned with the late Frederick Fasehun, called on South-West governors on Sunday to regard the establishment of camps by insurgents and terrorists fleeing from the North in Yoruba forests as a security crisis.
The organization also expressed its willingness to assist security forces in addressing this threat.
In a statement from its president, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, OPC declared its readiness to demonstrate to these malicious intruders that Yorubaland will never be subdued or occupied by foreign aggressors.
Afolabi stated: “These foreign Fulani terrorists have long claimed that after conquering the North, the South will be their next target. This is now unfolding.
We urge the six governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti states to collaborate with us to confront this issue before it escalates.”
“We possess the manpower and capability to confront these foreign invaders through physical, militant, technological, and spiritual means. All we seek from the South-West governors is the necessary invitation, equipment, and support to eliminate this threat posed by foreign criminals.”
Afolabi's comments followed the warning issued by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, regarding bandits and terrorists fleeing military operations in the North and establishing camps in the South-West forests. The Yoruba socio-cultural group urged President Bola Tinubu to work alongside the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti states to swiftly neutralize the threat posed by Boko Haram and similar insurgents in the South-West before it becomes too late.
Afolabi advised Yoruba governors to urgently invite all capable organizations, individuals, and security experts, mobilize all available resources, and assign them the task of collaborating with security forces to eradicate the threat posed by non-state actors who have made life unbearable for Northerners and are now bringing increased insecurity to the South.
“Enough of merely paying lip service to the issue of insecurity. Peace is paramount in any society. Without security and peace, no society can progress. Following the alarm raised by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, we must all unite to eliminate this existential threat to our collective well-being and send these malevolent individuals back to where they came from.”
“The Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, must not politicize this issue. Tinubu must take the lead and mobilize the Armed Forces to collaborate with Amotekun, OPC, vigilantes, hunters, Agbekoya, and Sunday Igboho’s team to confront this serious threat to our collective peace and existence.”
“Tinubu must understand that fate has placed him in this role to rectify the significant disservice done to this nation by President Muhammadu Buhari, who opened our borders to foreign Fulani militants and herdsmen because they are his kinsmen.
“Let it be clear that while the Yoruba people harbor no animosity towards the Nigerian Fulani, with whom we have shared a cordial relationship for centuries, we will not yield an inch of our land to foreign elements posing as herdsmen whose activities include kidnapping, rape, plundering, and killing our people. The OPC and the Yoruba people will never permit such a nefarious agenda.”
