Leaders of the Ebira community in Ondo State have promised to expose any of their kinsmen involved in any act of crime or criminality in the state.

The Ebira leaders, however, warned against stigmatising any ethnic groups as responsible for kidnappings in the state.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu had last week warned Ebira community to expose criminals living amongst them.

The warning of the Governor was due to statements from kidnapped victims that they were taken to Ebira farmsteads before ransom was paid for their release.

Also, suspects arrested in connection to the June 5th terror attack in St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, were found to be from of Ebira extraction.

Speaking at a press briefing in Akure, the Ebira leaders from Kogi State, said certain steps had been taken to ensure security of lives and property in the state.

Mr. Abiodun Umoru, who read a communique from the Ebira leaders, said they were not ready to support or defend any of their kinsmen arrested for crime.

They said their political leader, the Special Assistant (Ebira) to the Governor should be invited to interrogate in Ebira language any suspect arrested in any part of the state that claimed to be an Ebira person.

“Our plan is to periodically present such data collected from arrested suspects to our paramount ruler, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland , Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, for tracing, invitation and interrogation of their parents at the palace of Ohinoyi in Okene, Kogi state.

“As part of steps to address stigmatizing our people with criminality, politicians who have cultivated the habit of importing Ebira youths from their state to Ondo State as political thugs will be exposed to the security agents and government while we are ready to deal decisively with such youths.”

They called for the establishment of Amotekun Posts in areas predominantly inhabited by their people as well as enlistment of their interested youths into the Amotekun Corps to secure the villages which are predominantly occupied by Ebira people.

The Ebira leaders banned all Ebira traditional festivals from being held in any part of Ondo State, saying anybody who wishes to hide under traditional festivals to perpetrate evil in the state will be handed over to the security agents.

He said, “We can no longer fold our arms while some of kinsmen will be acting against our cherished cultural norms and values.

“We have warned and educated our women who sell food items at strategic locations on the major roads on the dangers of hobnobbing with suspected criminals by volunteering information to them.

“They have been admonished to report any suspicious movement of unknown persons where they live, work and play to their village heads and the security agents nearer to them.” (The Nation)

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