Amid the rising insecurity in Nigeria’s South West region and the recent tragic killings of royal figures in Ekiti and Kwara states, traditional leaders who do not value spiritual power have been cautioned to step down from their positions.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, delivered this caution during the inaugural Yoruba Security Summit on Thursday. Ooni urged Yoruba monarchs to uphold the use of supernatural power to protect themselves and their domains from incursions by assailants.
A joint statement issued at the summit’s conclusion and endorsed by the Ooni of Ife, along with other monarchs such as the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade; Owa-Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole; Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, among others, outlined the agreement that Southwest governors should convene regional security summits to address the mounting insecurity.
The joint statement emphasized the need for the Yoruba people to assume full control over their forests, homelands, and farmlands.It underscored the necessity to enhance the Amotekun Corps by addressing areas such as motivation, financial resources, and the continuous training of personnel.
Furthermore, the communique urged the recruitment of individuals knowledgeable about the intricacies of the forests into the Amotekun Corps.Additionally, the statement called for the establishment of training facilities for the corps’ personnel and advocated for the provision of advanced weaponry to effectively combat insecurity, noting that security efforts should be locally driven.
Furthermore, the communique highlighted the importance of securing adequate budgetary allocations for the Amotekun Corps as part of the comprehensive strategy to tackle security challenges.
The communique stressed the need for the Yoruba people, particularly traditional rulers, to harness their natural resources and inherent powers, including traditional values, in the fight against banditry and kidnapping.
Emphasizing the pivotal role of traditional rulers, the statement called on governments at all levels to acknowledge and integrate their contributions into the national security framework.
Furthermore, it urged unified action among all Yoruba traditional leaders to combat the scourge of banditry and kidnappings, noting that individual state efforts may only relocate the perpetrators to neighboring areas.
The communique also underscored that any traditional ruler who disregards Yoruba culture and customs should vacate the throne for someone deeply knowledgeable and committed to Yoruba traditions, advocating for the reinforcement of the judicial system to ensure that appropriate penalties are imposed on wrongdoers and that justice prevails.
The communique emphasized the imperative need for Southwest governors to convene a Regional Security Summit promptly, involving all relevant stakeholders, to collectively address the prevailing security challenges and implement the highlighted recommendations.
Furthermore, it urged robust support for the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the broader interest of the Yoruba people, emphasizing the significance of unity and cooperation in advancing the collective welfare of the Yoruba race.
The summit called on Yoruba traditional rulers to re-embrace the authentic Yoruba traditional, spiritual, and cultural values, underscoring the traditional leaders’ responsibility to safeguard their forests, homelands, and farmlands while recognizing the traditional nature of the positions they occupy.
Additionally, the summit advocated for the deployment of drones and other appropriate technological tools by local, state, and federal governments to bolster the surveillance of Yoruba forests and roads as part of comprehensive security measures.
The summit reached a consensus on the necessity of conducting the Yoruba security summit on a quarterly basis to accommodate and address dynamic factors and supervisory dimensions within the political landscape. This proactive approach aims to ensure that emerging security challenges and evolving circumstances are continuously monitored and effectively managed.
