Insecurity: Buhari Moves To Check Tension In Southwest… Sends Osinbajo To Obas, Others

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with top traditional rulers in Ogun State at the start of an initiative by the Presidency to stave off possible conflicts in the Southwest that may arise from security challenges in parts of the country.

Osinbajo met with the paramount ruler of the Remo – the Akarigbo – Oba Babatunde Ajayi in Sagamu on the state of the nation, 72 hours after the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi told President Muhammadu Buhari that “everybody is beating the drums of war. We don’t want war.”

The VP was accompanied to yesterdays’ meeting in Sagamu by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

He told reporters at the end of the meeting that he came visiting at the instance of the President in view of the “many significant security concerns all over the country.”

“And there are concerns also in the Southwest. So, I am here on the instruction of the president to consult with the traditional ruler, the governor and others on what to do to beef up security and to generally improve the security architecture.

“Of course, you know that Kabiyesi is not just a traditional ruler, but a very important part of the government.

“That is why we are here; to talk to him and agree on few modalities for beefing up security; and ensuring that we are fully conscious of all that is going on, just to be sure that peace and security reigns here and across the country.

“I think for all of us, the most important thing to realize is that we are one Nigeria; we are one country; we need to work together to ensure that it is peaceful, secured and happy for all of us.’’

Government, Osinbajo said, is on top of the security situation, and all efforts are geared toward tackling the challenge.

He said his visit was part of the steps being taken to address such problems as kidnapping and brigandage.

He urged Nigerians to continue to live in peace and harmony and work together as one people with a view to overcoming the current challenges and setting the country on the path of prosperity.

From Sagamu, Osinbajo moved to Ijebu-Ode for a similar consultation with the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

He described Adetona as one of the most important voices in the Southwest.

He said they had discussed the very important steps to take in order to improve the security architecture generally.

According to him, the monarch has given a lot of insight; his own views, on what needed to be done, how to go about it; and what had been done already.

“But very importantly, it is his commitment to ensuring that there is peace and security, and that everybody lives in peace with one another and maintains the highest level of security.

“We are consulting with many of the traditional rulers across the country, but there are concerns in the Southwest now.’

He is scheduled to take the peace initiative to Osun State on Tuesday.

He is also expected to see the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and the Ooni, Oba Ogunwusi.

He said: “I will be in Osun on Tuesday; we are going to go round to see the Alake, the Oni and other traditional rulers, and primarily, they themselves want to participate in improving the security architecture.

“The President has spoken about the role of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and security in their own localities.

“As we know, they are the closest to the grassroots; the closest to their communities.

“One of the critical things we expect with our community policing efforts is some integration between the traditional rulers, the community and police; and efforts they are making to improve intelligence; and we need to understand what is going on.

“We need to know who is where and what exactly is happening all around so they can be transmitted to the more formal security agencies such as the police and the army, depending on where and what the situation is.”

The Ooni, during his Wednesday meeting with Buhari had declared that the people of the Southwest were against any war.

He said: “Who can stand war? We want something better for our youths. We had better use them for something good rather than shouting war and anarchy. We don’t want that.

“The issue of insecurity in the Southwest is real. In the remote and rural areas of the Southwest, most of the bushes are now occupied by strange people. We, therefore, decided to work with the government to fish them out.

“We told that to the president and he is on the same page with us. Politicians should be careful not to throw things out of proportion. We should make sure things are right. The president has given good directives to security chiefs including the Inspector General of Police to visit all traditional institutions in the Southwest.”