‘Stop threatening Fulani herdsmen in Yoruba land’ – Vigilante group cautions OPC

The Head of Harmonised Vigilante Group in the South West, Alhaji Rilwan Hussein Yahasalam, has cautioned a section of Odua People’s Congress, OPC, over the seven days ultimatum handed down to Fulani ethnic group leaving in Osun State to fish out criminals among them.

He said such approach could be counter-productive and sounds as a threat to peaceful Fulani extractions leaving in the state.

According to him, the security challenges facing Osun State and other states in the South West required all-inclusive security measure to achieve optimal result.

He noted that the experience of his group over the years in the security architecture of the region suggests a pragmatic method to curb criminality and not “a fire brigade approach” that could heat up the polity the more.

Yahasalam stated this during a media chat with journalists in Ede, Osun State, on the spate of insecurity in the region and other parts of the country.

He, however, disclosed that his group had met with appropriate authorities on how best the security menace in the state could be better tackled using local intelligence operations in collaboration with security agencies.

The security expert opined that the involvement of local vigilante group in the quest to find permanent solutions to the security challenges plaguing the geo-political zone can never be overemphasized.

He reiterated the readiness of his group to put a stop to array of security breaches in the South West, adding that efforts are already in place to flush out criminals from the region.

Yahasalam said:” The best approach to the present situation in Osun State and other states in the South West goes beyond threat and issuance of ultimatum to innocent people who are going about their daily business peacefully.

“Calling some handful of local Fulani people in the state together to threaten them is out of place as far as National security issues are concerned. It is indeed a situation that requires pragmatic approach rather than sheer hullabaloo.

“Such ultimatum could be counter-productive in the face of sensitive political atmosphere in Nigeria presently. The group, which was making such inflammatory statement must thread softly and be cautioned against any tendency that could heat up the polity unnecessarily.

“On our part, we are systematically moving towards eradicating such menace from our region, we have begun moves to flush out this miscreants from our forests, and I can tell you that the efforts have started yielding positive results “.

The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), in Osun state has asked Fulani herders living in the state to fish out criminals amongst them and end all forms of criminality in the state within seven days.

The Head of the group in the state, Alhaji Leke Akintayo, popularly called Olojongbodu gave the ultimatum during a peace meeting held with the leaders of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, in Osogbo, the state capital on Tuesday.