Chief Tokunbo Ajasin, one of the children of a former Governor of Ondo State, late Chief Adekunle.Ajasin, on Monday led other elderly residents and youths in a protest to demand an end to insecurity in the South-West.
The protesters, who wielded placards with various inscriptions, stormed the streets of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to sensitise the people on the need to begin to prepare to defend themselves due to killings, kidnappings, rape and destruction of properties being witnessed in the region.
They said the recent massacre of worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State was not an isolated case, saying similar killings had happened in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State and other parts of Yorubaland.
They said Yorubaland had been surrounded by terrorists from other countries who were waiting to strike at any time warning that the people must not be caught unawares.
Ajasin, in an interview with journalists, said the Federal Government was not doing enough to protect the people.
He said, “Why will the Federal Government recruit pardoned Boko Haram members into the Army and expect them not to be sympathetic to their terror group? There are many youths with no link to terror groups or criminal records who should be recruited.
“Apart from that, flushing the criminals from the forests can be done with the aid of equipment like drones and other equipment like that. There must be seriousness on the part of all stakeholders to end terror.”
The Coordinator, Coalition of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Johnson Ajilore, while addressing the people, said Yorubaland had been surrounded by terrorists and criminals who were killing daily across the South-West.
He said, “We are staging this rally to sensitise the people to be vigilant. We are being killed every day but this must stop. We have to defend ourselves if the government is not ready to defend us.
“We say no to these killings. Our hospitality, civility and tolerance should not be mistaken for cowardice.
“People went to church to worship and some terrorists went there and killed them. Similar incident happened in Igangan a year before the Owo incident. They have killed many and kidnapped many more in many towns and villages in the South-West.”
The coalition’s Secretary General, Chief Steve Abioye, while addressing residents during the protest at Oje, said Yoruba people should wake up and be ready to protect themselves from being slaughtered daily by bandits.
“Our people should wake up, they are being killed every day. Yorubaland has never been conquered and that is why we are calling on our people to defend themselves,” he said.
A 75-year-old protester, Dr Tunde Arogunmasa, said the youth and the elders must be prepared to defend themselves and their land.
