Owo massacre: We hold Buhari accountable — Yoruba Global Alliance

The Yoruba Global Alliance (YGA), “in collaboration with ‘the Yoruba Global Congress, The Yoruba Unseen and millions of others in the Diaspora”, says it “unequivocally holds the Nigerian President General Muhammadu Buhari accountable for the degeneracy of the country’s security architecture which has made incessant killings of innocent peoples all over Nigeria a sport.”

YGA was reacting to the June 5 attack and killings of innocent worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. It alleged in a press statement signed by its National President, Dr. Amos Arogundade Akingba and Chairman of Council, High Chief Tola Adeniyi, that the infiltration of the country by unskilled and unemployed Fulani at the Nigerian President’s invitation fuelled insecurity in every part of the country.

The statement reads: “The unprovoked murderous assault on innocent worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo last Sunday by suspected Fulani terrorists in which over 500 lives were gruesomely massacred was certainly off limit.

“The Yoruba Global Alliance along with our allies the Yoruba Global Congress, The Yoruba Unseen and millions of others in the Diaspora, unequivocally hold the Nigerian President General Muhammadu Buhari accountable for the degeneracy of the country’s security architecture which has made incessant killings of innocent peoples all over Nigeria a sport.

“We recall with anguish Buhari’s invitation, publicly announced in Cairo on December 11 2019, to all Fulani in West Africa to descend on borderless Nigeria without Visas or Passports. It was clear to all discerning minds that General Buhari’s invitation was directed at the dregs of the Fulani stock knowing full well that no successful Fulani would leave their places of abode to come to Nigeria. It was people without skills, without jobs, without any means of livelihood that were surreptitiously imported to the country for the Devil to employ. This announcement was made at a time Buhari had shut down all Nigeria land borders to its neighbouring West African states since August of that year!”

The group also blamed ‘all politicians inclusive of governors, national and state assembly members as well as local government chairmen who are timid, selfish and insensitive. The group called on them (the politicians) to tell Buhari to his face that ‘the buck stops at his desk’, claiming the mayhem in Owo could not have happened if the president had allowed ‘creation of state police’ in Nigeria.

“We also hold all the politicians in the land especially Governors, National and State Assembly members and Local Government chairmen culpable in the horrendous and gloomy insecurity that has shockingly enveloped the entire Nigeria landscape. Their timidity, selfishness and insensitivity cry to high heavens.

“The systemic murders in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Igbo land, Ijaw land, and Yoruba land will not stop unless and until the politicians elected by the people are courageous enough to challenge the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and pointedly put it to his face that the buck stops at his desk.

“It is regrettable that from all available records President Buhari is the only person blocking the creation of State police in the country. The mayhem in Owo could not have happened that brazenly if Ondo state had a well-equipped State Police.”

YGA, however, sounded a note of warning to the hoodlums which it described as ‘pampered and condoned terrorists’, that the Yorubas, though ‘accommodating and forgiving’, ‘do not joke with blood and land’ which they hold as sacred.

The statement continues: “Pampered and Condoned Terrorists let loose on Nigeria space could be having their field day as a revenge on the forces that created them, they should never again bring their untamed madness to Yoruba land.

“The Yoruba, because of our level of civilization and sophistication are very slow to anger, very accommodating and forgiving, very rational and philosophical, but are definitely not stupid or cowardly. Let the notice go out there that the Yoruba do not joke with blood and land; these two items are held sacred. The blood will always avenge itself and Ile Ogere Af’oko Ye’ri swallows its traducers. Those taunting the Yoruba should take heed. They should read their history books. They should ask about the sacred Iroko Oluwere.”

Consequently, the group while calling on traditional rulers across the country ‘to immediately summon top Government political/military functionaries, including Mr. President as well as past Heads of State to a Roundtable and resolve the insecurity menace in the country before Nigeria descends into irreversible dungeon’ condemned ‘political parties and their members for holding rallies and conventions while the country is boiling and the people, they are pretending to serve are being routinely slaughtered.’

“Yoruba Global Alliance hereby calls on the Ooni of Ife, The Sultan of Sokoto, the Shehu of Bornu, the Awujale of Ijebu, the Tor Tiv, the Obong of Calabar, the Obi of Onitsha, the Oba of Benin, the Etsu Nupe, the Aku Uka of Wukari, the Olowo of Owo and Olubadan of Ibadan to immediately summon top Government political/military functionaries, including Mr. President as well as past Heads of State to a Roundtable and resolve the insecurity menace in the country before Nigeria descends into irreversible dungeon.

“The Monarchs as the traditional and natural leaders of their communities must begin to assert their anointed positions and recognize politicians, from councilor to Head of State as our SERVANTS. Political leaders were elected by the people to SERVE the people and should not be allowed through sycophancy to turn themselves to ‘Lord and Master’ which usually is the beginning and enabler of Dictatorship, Tyranny and Absolutism.

“The Yoruba Global Alliance strongly condemns the so-called political parties and their members for holding rallies and conventions while the country is boiling and the people, they are pretending to serve are being routinely slaughtered. Certainly, this is not the time for election jamboree, or preparing for Population Census or the mirage of Restructuring or dubious Constitution Amendment. What should be uppermost now is how to de-amalgamate the country’s unworkable marriage.

“We reiterate that the ancient Kingdom of Owo is too important to the Yoruba United Kingdoms [UYK] as the birthplace of our modern political evolution and should never again be stained by the blood-thirsty messengers of Hell.

“The Yoruba Global Alliance while condoling with the peaceful people of Owo and the Ondo state government has declared a 30-Day mourning period for our departed Yoruba Nation compatriots.”