Following the reported murder of two traditional rulers in Ekiti State by suspected bandits on Monday, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has urged the Federal Government to prioritize the establishment of community policing to end the spate of killings by terrorists in the country.
In a statement released by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, the Ooni, who is also the Co-Chairman, National Council Of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), condemned in strongest term what he described as a “heinous attack on the monarchs”.
He also commiserated with families of the deceased monarchs, the people of Imojo-Ekiti, the people of Esun-Ekiti, the government and Ekiti State Council of Obas and Chiefs, describing the incident as a sacrilegious audacity deliberately planned and executed to undermine the security capacity of Nigeria.
“Assassinating traditional rulers in cold blood! This is absolutely unacceptable to us. If this could happen to the traditional rulers, what would then become hopes for their common subjects who look up to them for local security interventions?”.
“This is a pure sacrilege and it is a deliberate display of criminal audacity to undermine the government’s security control capacity. This reprehensible act has not only robbed us of noble leaders but has also left a scar on the fabric of our unity and peaceful coexistence as a Nation. Government must stop at nothing to ensure the perpetrators are arrested and made to face justice”, the statement reads.
The Ooni, who said Nigerians have had enough of of incessant attacks on them, maintained that the only solution to end the spate of killings, kidnappings and banditry ravaging the country is community policing.
He thereby charged government at all levels to rise the occasion by involving the traditional rules in security management and operations.
“We cannot continue like this. Several of our school children are still languishing in the undetected incarceration of these heartless terrorists. A party state chairman in Lagos state was a victim recently. What about the recently abducted school children in Ekiti state? Six sisters in Abuja not too long ago with one of them killed. Similar cases across the country. Who is safe in this country again? Enough is enough.
“The time should not be later than now for Government both at states and Federal levels to show practical capacity in the area of security management and operations. The traditional rulers in Nigeria must be motivated with statutory community policing policy needed to work officially with government as we remain the closest leaders to the people.
“We know the traditional techniques to get rid of all these unfortunate situation, We are no cowards and we are ready to rise to the occasion defending our traditional land. Get us statutorily involved and see that what we inherited from our respective ancestors are still intact and real,” the statement added.
The traditional rulers; the Elesun of Esun Ekiti and Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti were attacked alongside the Alara of Ara Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba who however escaped death.
They were said to be travelling on the Oke-Ako Road in Ikole local government area in a car driven by Alara on their way back from a security meeting at Irele Ekiti.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
