….as Stakeholders order Ban of Cross-body Bags by Youths to stop Bloodletting in Owo.
Some stakeholders have fingered politicians for indulging and using youths in the recent cult attacks that claimed many lives in the ancient town of Owo in Ondo State.
The stakeholders made this known during a security summit organised by Owo Youths Forum and attended by religious leaders and leaders such as the State Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami.
This is contained in a communique issued at the security summit, which was signed by Comr. Odunayo Folahanmi, Comr. Hussein Taye Aliyu and Comr. Damilare Aina.
The stakeholders ban use of cross bags identified as dangerous materials, “Security agencies are urged to prohibit the use of cross-body bags, which have been identified as mobile armories for cultists and criminal elements.
“After exhaustive deliberation on the security challenges afflicting Owo Local Government and a thorough exploration of remedial strategies, the summit resolved as follows:
“Politicians must desist forthwith from enabling and patronizing cultists and other criminal elements in Owo Kingdom.
“Religious and spiritual leaders are enjoined to propagate the virtues of forgiveness and reconciliation as essential pillars for community development.
“Informal street gatherings, colloquially referred to as “junction-by-junction assemblies,” should be proscribed forthwith by security agencies to curtail the breeding grounds of delinquency.
“Existing youth groups and associations within Owo Local Government should consolidate into a unified and robust youth body that would serve as the legitimate voice and representative of the youth constituency in Owo Kingdom.
“Parents must adopt proactive measures to monitor and guide their wards, inculcating in them the perils of cultism and criminality.
“Stakeholders’ Security Engagements should be institutionalized as a biannual event to assess and review the security landscape within Owo Local Government.
“The community is encouraged to institute mechanisms for recognizing and celebrating illustrious sons and daughters who bring honour and prestige to Owo Kingdom.
“The community must stage a walk of “zero tolerance for cultism, gangsterism and other social vices in Owo kingdom. The police authorities must desist from unwarranted arrest and extortion of innocent residents of owo kingdom.”
Speaking at the forum, Comrade Damilare Aina, a member of the forum, said that it was a known fact that politicians indulging youths especially the idle ones for their political gains and abandon them.
Aina added that the forum organised the summit to bring up ideas that would address the challenges so that peace would be restored to the ancient town.
Similarly, Engineer Odunayo Emmanuel Folahanmi, said that it could be established that politicians empowered youths with dangerous items working for them as political thugs.
“It is evident that politicians are the ones engaging the cultists. We invited them as well as others but you could even see by yourselves that the political leaders are not here except the deputy governor is represented by Chief of Staff.
“We have to start getting it right from our political class and we have to start making sure that things are done right.
He commended Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, and other traditional rulers that came out recently in raining curses on the cultists.
In his own remarks, Dr Foluso Taiwo, who spoke on behalf of Owo Concerned Youths, said that cultism and gangsterism had become a nuisance and a threat to the community.
In his words, the Police Area Commander in Owo, Mr Adenike Peter, asked politicians and influential people to stop interfering in police procedure when suspects were being arrested.
“Many a time, when we arrest these miscreants, politicians will start calling saying he is my brother we should release them. So, this is one of the major problems we have.
“Also, parents should checkmate their children and even report them to police for action if found culpable in criminal tendencies.
“Members of public should also give us useful information because we are not ghost. We will work on information given to us. These people live in our midst,” he said.
Similarly, Area Commander of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oluwatimilehin Omoyajowo, commended the organisers of the summit and asked parents to always checkmate their children so that they would not be lured into criminal activities.
Omoyajowo asked religious leaders to give out goodwill messages that could address social vices in the society, adding that traditional rulers should imbibe traditions and culture in raining curses on the perpetrators of crime in the society.
The Chief Imam Government House, Dr Yunus Anola, said that Owo community had witnessed too much wrecks in the annal of history in the South-West as a result of series of violence.
Anola said that many political supporters, especially idle youths, got themselves embroiled in criminal activities after being abandoned by politicians.
“Those boys used for political engagements do turn back to unleash violence on the society because they are not engaged.
“This is the background of our problems. Many youths are wayward. We are not safe; inability to disclose perpetrators of evil has also caused the insecurity.
“Many of them are members of our church and mosque and we are even fortifying them.
The Chairman of the Christians Association of Nigeria, (CAN) in Owo, Pastor Benjamin Olayinka, asked politicians to desist from using thugs for their personal and selfish purpose.
Pastor Olayinka also cautioned land owners that were fond of using thugs in their engagement.
Also speaking, Mr Tojjib Musa-Omoloja, berated non presence of top political leaders in the summit.
Musa-Omoloja, who lectures at the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) said that political class should desist from using cultists and thugs in their activities, stating that there must sincerity in tackling insecurity in the community.
Commending the summit, the deputy governor of the state, Dr Olayide Adelami, said that a lof of things had been unveiled in tackling security challenges confronted the community.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Kola Falohun, derided the recent happenings that could bring down the community into disrepute.
“We now know where we are going. Solutions have been suggested. We are believing that by the time we do main stakeholders’ meeting that will be organised by the Office of the Deputy Governor soon, we will make a headway.
“These boys are actually not bad only that we are not engaging them. They are our brothers and sisters. We will engage them and know if there are grievances and empower them because lack of job is a major flash point,” he said.
The deputy governor asked members of public to offer viable information to security agencies in addressing the situation and restoring peace to the community.
“Police and other security agencies are not spirits; you need to inform them. If we must move forward, all hands must be on deck.
“Youths should retrain themselves; we should not pull ourselves down.
“If we are moving forward, we should not hide the truth,” he said.
