Kwara Killings: Bring Those Culpable To Justice, Alaafin Tasks FG

*Says courage, honesty needed to get to root of current insecurity

By; BAYO AKAMO , Ibadan

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to ensure that all those found culpable in the Oke Ode killings in Kwara State are brought to justice to serve as a credible deterrent to others.

Oba Owoade in a statement on the recent killings of some people by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Oke Ode, emphasized that Nigeria’s leaders and followers should not take the issue of security for granted.

In the statement signed by Mr Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Oba Owoade stressed that the government and all Nigerians should have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of the current state of insecurity in the country .

“Our leaders and followers should not take the issue of security for granted, but to ensure urgent and immediate steps are taken to consciously respond to current threats by architectonic designing and building a security system which would create a stable and relatively peaceful environment, conducive for national development”, he said.

The Alaafin added, ” There can be no national development without relative peace and stability.There have been greater challenges of security in recent times than at any point in time in our history, thus rendering our political stability fragile, democratic institutions and processes fluid.

“Government, political leaders and followers, and all of us, must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our current state of insecurity, underpinned by criminality, insurgency and of recent terrorism by herdsmen’’.

Oba Owoade stressed, ” We must accept the reality that while it is necessary to create unity in diversity, we must identify and respect our differences, which is diversity in unity”.

The Alaafin maintained that there is the need for Nigerians to stand together against blood guzzlers and enemies of state, nature, and sound reasoning, who take solace in mindless killings of innocent souls.

Lamenting the killings at Oke Ode allegedly masterminded by suspected Fulani herdsmen, the Alaafin wondered why the herdsmen became threats to peace and security, adding they had for long been in existence without serious criminal records as is presently the case.

Oba Owoade while commending the security agencies for their steadfastness and commitment to duties, warned against acts that are detrimental to peace, orderliness and unity of the country, assured all ethnic groups living in the metropolis of adequate protection of lives and properties.