Concerned by the escalating insecurity in the South Western states of Nigeria, a Yoruba security summit was convened on Thursday at the Ife Grand Resort.

The summit, attended by traditional rulers, scholars, technocrats, and heads of Yoruba socio-cultural security operatives, mandated the Yoruba people, particularly traditional rulers, to leverage their natural resources and powers to combat banditry and kidnapping.

The resolutions reached at the end of the summit emphasized that Yoruba people should take full control of their forests, homelands, and farmlands.

Additionally, it was agreed that the Amotekun corps, a regional security outfit, should be strengthened in terms of motivation, finances, and training. The recruitment of individuals familiar with the nooks and crannies of Yoruba forests into the Amotekun was also highlighted as a crucial step.

“The Amotekun corps should be strengthened in terms of; Motivation, finances, training and retraining of personnel and that those who are familiar with nooks and crannies of our forests should be recruited into the Amotekun.

“Provision of training grounds for its personnel, provision of modern, state-of-the-art weapons to tackle insecurity as security is local, provision of adequate budgetary allocations to the Amotekun corps.

“The Yoruba, especially the traditional rulers should make recourse to their natural resources including natural powers to combat banditry and kidnapping; that Yoruba Obas should not jettison traditional values.”

“Government at all levels should recognize the roles of traditional rulers and factor them into the national security architecture.

“The entire Obas in Yorubaland should work in unison to ward off the evils of banditry and kidnappings as each of the states could only succeed in chasing the marauders to another state.

“Any Oba who is disinterested in Yoruba culture and custom should abdicate his throne for anyone who is deeply versed and interested in Yoruba traditions.

“Each time an attack took place, the offenders were quickly left off the hook by the powers that be and the judicial process should be strengthened to mete out appropriate punishments to culprits or bring them to justice.

“The Governors of South West Nigeria should organize Regional Security Summit at the earliest practicable time, including all stakeholders to chart the way forward and give teeth to all the concerns raised at this (current) summit.

“The security summit called for strong support for the administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the larger interest of Yoruba race.

“The security summit called on Yoruba Traditional rulers to return to the pristine Yoruba traditional, spiritual and cultural values. At all times, the traditional rulers should recognize that, in spite of whatever nature of religion they practice, they must recognize that the stool they preside over is traditional.

“The summit called on Yoruba traditional rulers to take full possession of their forests, homelands and farmlands,” they resolved.

The summit called on Local, State and Federal Governments to employ the use of drones and other appropriate technology for the effective surveillance of Yoruba forests and roads.

The summit agreed that the Yoruba security summit should be held quarterly basis so as to capture intervening and supervising variables in our polity.

Meanwhile, the submit addressed to major themes of Kidnapping and banditry, delivered by Dr. Solomon E. Arase (Ex Inspector General of Police) and Yoruba Legacy of African Science: Overcoming the twin menace, delivered by Dr. (Chief) Ifayemi Elebuibon Osundagbonu.

At the programme, the Governor of Osun State was represented by his Deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi while the other five Governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Lagos and Ogun States sent representatives.

The summit was attended by the Olowo of Owo Alayeluwa, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, Osemawe of Ondo, Alayeluwa Oba Victor Kiladejo, the Deji of Akure, Owa Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Akarigbo of Remoland, Olowu of Owu, Oludo of Ido-Osun, Aragbiji of Iragbiji and a host of other Yoruba traditional rulers.

Other featured presentations include; the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Mr. Sunday Igboho and Mr. Akin Osuntokun. (Nigerian Tribune)

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