A pressure group in Yorubaland called Yoruba Appraisal Forum, on Saturday warned the people against the increasing tension in the South-West on the account of call for the eviction of the cattle herdsmen from the zone over the spate of killings, rape and vandalization of farmlands.
The group said unless necessary caution and proactive steps are taken to address the current logjam the development is capable of upsetting the peace in the land
YAF expressed its thought in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Friday in an address titled, ‘Yoruba Appraisal Forum will resist vendors of violence in the South-West. Enough is enough!’
Mr Shina Animashaun, the Convener of YAF, while addressing journalists on the occasion, said, “The Yoruba Appraisal Forum has watched with keen interest and even with bated breath the recent violent events unfolding in some states in the South-Western part of the country.
“We want to say that we were not taken by surprise because we had warned about the impending violent occurrences several times but unfortunately, we were not taken seriously by the authorities and security agencies.
“The quit notice to some Nigerians by some individuals in the South-West, which resulted eventually in the recent violence was uncalled for and unnecessary.
“The masterminds of this violence are bent on throwing Nigeria into total chaos to hasten the collapse of governments at both the state and federal levels to enable them execute their evil plans on Nigeria.
“They are planning to take advantage of the current security challenges to wreak further havoc throughout the country, starting with the South-West and expecting to instigate reprisals against Southerners in the North with the ultimate objective of destabilising the country.
He urged the police and other security agencies to be proactive in ensuring peace and stability, saying, “Yorubaland is still grappling with the unimaginable aftermath of the October 2020 #EndSARS protests. The large scale destruction in many parts of the South-West is still shocking to many Nigerians, as it remains unprecedented.
“Remember that the huge losses recorded by the South-West in terms of burnt properties worth trillions of Naira, not to talk of invaluable human lives destroyed, due to the October 2020 violence that followed the #EndSARS protests are still fresh in the people’s minds and Yorubaland can no longer afford to lose more to the unpatriotic and evil activities of hoodlums masquerading as freedom fighters.
“On our own part as YAF members, we want to, once again, sound a serious note of warning that we won’t allow any group or individuals to turn the South-West into a theatre of war.”
“On our own part as YAF members, we want to, once again, sound a serious note of warning that we won’t allow any group or individuals to turn the South-West into a theatre of war.
“We, therefore, advise the Yoruba individuals and groups concerned to immediately begin to resist the manipulation by their sponsors and paymasters who have been emboldening them to continue to thread the path of destruction.”
