Ebira community in Ondo says fight against insecurity shouldn't be politicized

Due to the reported involvement of some youths of Ebira ancestry in crimes in the state, the leadership of the Ebira people in Ondo State has urged caution.

According to the leadership, the fight against insecurity shouldn't be political in order to successfully combat banditry and kidnapping.

At a news conference that took place over the weekend in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, this was stated by the Ebira people.

They claimed that the press conference was necessary after a previous meeting called at the state government's request in which they were accused of not setting their house in order in the area of security in the state. They were joined by representatives from the 28 Local Government Areas of the state.

They called for joint efforts to win the war against insecurity in the country and noted that Nigeria's security challenges could not have reached their current alarming level if stakeholders had not been politicizing it. The communique was read by Barrister Vincent Abiodun lmoru.

They specifically called attention to the inclusion of one Idris Ojo, who was an escapee from the Kuje prison that was attacked on July 5, 2022, and praised Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for providing the clarification shortly after the list was made public by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen. Lucky Irabor.

They specifically called attention to the inclusion of one Idris Ojo, who was an escapee from the Kuje prison that was attacked on July 5, 2022, and praised Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for providing the clarification shortly after the list was made public by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen. Lucky Irabor.

Since their intelligence collecting, investigations, and findings are constantly available for public evaluation and analysis, they urged security agencies to always perform exhaustive and verifiable investigations before making statements to the media.

They also admitted that they had no intention of standing up for or defending any of their relatives who had been arrested for crimes, preferring instead to denounce such people to the proper authorities.

They pleaded with the Ondo state government to establish Amotekun Posts in some communities with a high Ebira population and hire their interested youths for the security service. They then issued a warning to politicians who have developed the habit of bringing Ebira youths from their state to Ondo State as political thugs, saying they are prepared to deal with such youths decisively.

They asserted that going forward, they would compile data on all suspects of criminal activity who had been detained in the state and were of Ebira descent. They would then present this data on a regular basis to their Paramount Ruler, the Ohinoyi of Ebira Land, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, for further tracing, inviting, and questioning of the suspects' parents at the palace of their monarch in Okene, Kogi State.

The forum was used to make the announcement that no Ebira traditional festivals could be hosted anywhere in Ondo State.

Source