Killings In Ilorin: Alaafin Sends Wake-Up Call To Gov AbdulRazaq

The Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has called on Nigerians to unite against bloodthirsty criminals and enemies of the state, while urging Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State to take decisive action to curb the spate of killings in the state.

According to Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, the monarch’s admonition followed the recent killing of some persons of Yoruba extraction by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Oke-Ode, Kwara State.

The Alaafin described the development as disturbing, noting that Yorubas and Fulanis had coexisted peacefully for decades without major incidents.

He disclosed that he had reached out to Governor AbdulRazaq over the killings and urged him to act swiftly to stop the criminal activities of the bandits.

In his response, Governor AbdulRazaq commended the Alaafin for his concern and visionary leadership, assuring the monarch that a battalion of soldiers had been deployed to the scene of the incident.

Oba Owoade lamented the growing insecurity allegedly caused by some herdsmen, noting that they had previously lived peacefully without being a threat to public safety.

He called on the Federal Government to ensure that all those found culpable in the Kwara killings are brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others.

“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,” he said.

The monarch stressed the need for urgent and deliberate measures to build a robust security architecture capable of addressing emerging threats and creating a stable environment conducive to national development.

“Our leaders and followers should not take the issue of security for granted. We must accept the reality that while it is necessary to create unity in diversity, we must identify and respect our differences — that is diversity in unity,” he added.

While commending security agencies for their efforts, the Alaafin warned against acts that could jeopardize peace and unity. He assured all ethnic groups living within his domain of adequate protection of lives and property.

He recalled that the Oyo Empire was the first to provide cattle ranches for Fulani herdsmen in Yorubaland, offering 10 acres of land free of charge to promote peaceful coexistence.

“Whenever there are skirmishes between farmers and herdsmen, the Royal Father adopts age-long conflict resolution mechanisms that promote dialogue, consensus-building, social bridge reconstruction and the restoration of order,” the statement added.