Stakeholders blame Politicians for Owo Killings

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Some stakeholders have blamed politicians for indulging youths in the recent cult attacks that claimed many lives in the ancient city of Owo in Ondo State.

The stakeholders made this known during a security summit organised by Owo youths.forum.

Speaking at the forum, Comrade Damilare Aina, a member of the forum, said that it was a known fact that politicians would indulge youths especially the idle ones for their political gains and abandon them.

Aina added that the forum organised the summit to bring up ideas that would address the challenges so that peace would be restored to the ancient town.

He said that a continuous engagement of all stakeholders would go a long way in educating the youths and ensuring sustaining peace in the area.

Similarly, Engineer  Odunayo Emmanuel Folahanmi, said that it could be established that politicians empowered youths with dangerous items working for them as political thugs.

“ It is evident that politicians are the ones engaging the cultists.  We invited them as well as others but you could even see by yourselves that the political leaders are not here except the deputy governor is represented by Chief of Staff.

“ We have to start getting it right from our political class and we have to start making sure that things are done right.

“We even have a privy information from the police that whenever these people are arrested, political leaders will come and rescue them,” he said.

He commended Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, and other traditional rulers that came out recently in raining curses on the cultists.

In his own remarks, Dr Foluso Taiwo, who spoke on behalf of Owo Concerned Youths, said that cultism and gangsterism had become a nuisance and a threat to the community.

Taiwo called on leaders and influential individuals to embrace concept of innovation and skill acquisition programmes as  solutions in getting youths engaged in substantive means of income.

He added that there was need for provision of actionable plans that would put an end to the menace of cultism and gangsterism in moving the community forward. 

In his words, the Police  Area Commander in Owo, Mr Adenike Peter, asked politicians and influential people to stop interfering in police procedure when suspects were being arrested.

“ Many a time, when we arrest these miscreants, politicians will start calling saying he is my brother we should release them. So, this is one of the major problems we have.

“ Also, parents should checkmate their children and even report them to police for action if found culpable in criminal tendencies.

“ Members of public should also give us useful information because we are not ghost. We will work on information given to us. These people live in our midst,” he said.

Similarly, Area Commander of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp( NSCDC), Oluwatimilehin Omoyajowo, commended the organisers of the summit and asked parents to always checkmate their children so that they would not be lured into criminal activities.

Omoyajowo asked religious leaders to give out goodwill messages that could address social vices in the society, adding that  traditional rulers should imbibe traditions and culture in raining curses on the perpetrators of crime in the society.

He asked political class to give out skill acquisition centre in engaging idle youths.  Let us utilize constituency allowance given to us.

The NSCDC Commander urged well-to-do individuals in the area to provide logistics to the security agencies in carrying out their work effectively.

The Chief Imam Government House, Dr Yunus Anola, said that Owo community had witnessed too much wrecks in the annal of history in the South-West as a result of series of violence.

Anola said that many political supporters, especially idle youths, got themselves embroiled in criminal activities after being abandoned by politicians.

“ Those boys  used for political engagements do turn back to unleash violence on the society because they are not engaged.

“ This is the  background of our problems. Many youths are wayward. We are not safe; inability to disclose perpetrators of evil has also  caused the insecurity.

“ Many of them are members of our church and mosque and we are even  fortifying them.

“ The traditional rulers also have a lot of roles to play because they are custodians of culture and traditions,” he said.

The   Chairman of the Christians Association of Nigeria ( CAN)  in Owo, Pastor Benjamin  Olayinka,            asked politicians to desist from using thugs for their personal  and selfish purpose.

Pastor Olayinka also cautioned land owners  that were fond of using thugs in their engagement.

Also speaking, Mr Tojjib Musa-Omoloja, berated non presence of  top political leaders in the summit.

Musa-Omoloja, who lectures at the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo( RUGIPO) said that  political class should desist from using cultists and thugs in their activities, stating that there must sincerity in tackling insecurity in the community.

Commending the summit, the deputy governor of the state, Dr Olayide Adelami, said that a lof of things had been unveiled in tackling security challenges confronted the community.

Represented by his  Chief of Staff, Dr Kola Falohun, derided the recent  happenings that could bring down the community into disrepute.

“ We now know where we are going. Solutions have been suggested. We are believing that by the time we do main stakeholders’ meeting that will be organised by the Office of the Deputy Governor soon, we will make a headway.

“ These boys are actually  not  bad  only that we are not engaging them. They are our brothers and sisters.  We will engage them and know if there are grievances and empower them because lack of job is a major flash point,” he said.

The deputy governor asked members of public to offer viable information to security agencies in addressing the situation and restoring peace to the community.

“Police and other security agencies are not spirits; you need to inform them. If we must move forward, all hands must be on deck.

“Youths should retrain themselves; we should not pull ourselves down.

“If we are moving forward, we should not hide the truth,” he said.

COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE STAKEHOLDERS’ SECURITY ENGAGEMENT CONVENED BY THE OWO CONCERNED GROUP, HELD ON 25TH JANUARY 2025, AT OKE-MAPO HALL, OWO

1.0 Preamble
In light of the recent surge in cult-related killings and escalating security challenges within Owo Local Government, the Owo Concerned Group deemed it imperative to convene a Stakeholders’ Security Engagement. This critical engagement sought to interrogate the underlying causes of the crisis and chart a sustainable path to halting the menace with the overarching goal of fostering a harmonious, secure and prosperous Owo Kingdom.

1.1 Attendance
The gathering was graced by an array of distinguished personalities including the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olaide Adelami, represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Kolawole Present also were traditional rulers from all communities within Owo Local Government, spiritual and religious dignitaries, political luminaries, youth leaders, representatives of student unions, trade association leaders and members of the general public.

2.0 Objectives
The Security Engagement was convened with the following strategic objectives:
i. To assemble all critical stakeholders across the diverse communities comprising Owo Local Government for a comprehensive discourse on resolving prevailing security issues.
ii. To identify both proximate and root causes of the persistent killings and unrest plaguing Owo Kingdom.
iii. To elicit pragmatic ideas and actionable recommendations aimed at eradicating cultism and associated security threats within the Local Government.
iv. To devise immediate and enduring solutions to the crisis thereby facilitating economic revitalization and socio-political stability in Owo Kingdom.

3.0 Observations
Following extensive deliberations and inputs from individual participants, community representatives, religious leaders and security agencies, the following observations were articulated:
i. Political patronage has been a significant enabler of cultism and lawlessness within Owo Local Government.
ii. Deficient parental oversight and a general abdication of parental responsibilities have exacerbated the prevalence of hooliganism and cult-related activities.
iii. There exists an urgent need for traditional rulers within the Local Government to foster a spirit of collaboration and unity to safeguard the peace and progress of Owo Kingdom.

4.0 Resolutions
After exhaustive deliberation on the security challenges afflicting Owo Local Government and a thorough exploration of remedial strategies, the summit resolved as follows:

i. Politicians must desist forthwith from enabling and patronizing cultists and other criminal elements in Owo Kingdom.
ii. Religious and spiritual leaders are enjoined to propagate the virtues of forgiveness and reconciliation as essential pillars for community development.
iii. Security agencies are urged to prohibit the use of cross-body bags, which have been identified as mobile armories for cultists and criminal elements.
iv. Informal street gatherings, colloquially referred to as “junction-by-junction assemblies,” should be proscribed forthwith by security agencies to curtail the breeding grounds of delinquency.
v. Existing youth groups and associations within Owo Local Government should consolidate into a unified and robust youth body that would serve as the legitimate voice and representative of the youth constituency in Owo Kingdom.
vi. Parents must adopt proactive measures to monitor and guide their wards, inculcating in them the perils of cultism and criminality.
vii. Stakeholders’ Security Engagements should be institutionalized as a biannual event to assess and review the security landscape within Owo Local Government.
viii. The community is encouraged to institute mechanisms for recognizing and celebrating illustrious sons and daughters who bring honour and prestige to Owo Kingdom.
ix. The community must stage a walk of “zero tolerance for cultism, gangsterism and other social vices in Owo kingdom “.
X. The police authorities must desist from unwarranted arrest and extortion of innocent residents of owo kingdom

Conclusion
The Stakeholders’ Security Engagement underscored the necessity of collective responsibility in tackling the multifaceted security challenges confronting Owo Kingdom. It is anticipated that the resolutions articulated herein will galvanize all stakeholders towards the restoration of peace, security and socio-economic progress in Owo Local Government.

Signed:
Comr. Odunayo Folahanmi
Comr. Hussein Taye Aliyu
Comr. Damilare Aina.