Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has come hard on the Federal Government, over the wanton killing in an attack by alleged Fulanis herdsmen of residents of Igangan community in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State, saying that the unwarranted, unprovoked, dastardly and avoidable killings and arson that took place on Saturday night, has removed the doubts that Nigeria is literally a battlefield and a country that is fast becoming a failed state.
Reacting to the killings and burning of properties that occurred in the community in a statement by its Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, issued on his behalf by the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere regretted that the incident could still happen in spite of the alarm sounded by the Chairman of the Oyo State Security Network, code-named Amotekun, retired General Ajibola Kunle Togun.
Togun had last Thursday alerted the nation of the imminent invasion of the South West by armed bandits from some West African countries.
During the attack on Igangan, it was reported that about 50 fully armed bandits arrived the community at about 11 pm on Saturday night and operated till around 3.00 am on Sunday morning.
And by the time they were leaving, more than 20 people were allegedly killed, while several houses, a fuel station and vehicles were burnt down.
The palace of the traditional ruler of the town, Asigangan of Igangan, was not spared either.
Afenifere, however, insisted that a more serious government would have from the moment the security alarm was blown by Togun swung into action to ensure that such a gory incident did not happen anywhere.
Afenifere said, “The failure of the Federal Government-controlled security apparatuses to prevent the carnage from happening, despite prior warning, makes it difficult for us to dismiss the insinuations in some quarters of complicity from the high level of government. This suspicion is strengthened by the fact that the devilish bandits operated for four solid hours without being checked by either the police or the military. It is so sad.”
The organisation observed that security report indicated that a column of the armed bandits were spotted in Iwere-Ile, in Iwajowa Local Government Area in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, but they were repelled by the combined team of Amotekun and vigilante officers in conjunction with the local people.
Afenifere further stated that
suspicion was rife that it was those bandits and/or their partners-in-crime that attacked Igangan.
Calling on the Federal and state governments to urgently put an end to the deteriorating situation in the country, “before the people resorted to self-help,” Afenifere added that while the security agencies quickly swing into action, the Federal Government’s should as a matter of urgency convoke meetings of security experts and make it possible for local communities to protect themselves.
It added, “To find a lasting solution to the myriad of problems confronting the nation however, Nigeria must be restructured immediately.”
