The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, on Friday, November 18, 2022, expressed concerns about the growing insecurity situation in Southwest states and, by extension, in the North Central part of the country, especially Kwara State.
The renowned activist, politician and traditional aristocrat outlined his concerns yesterday as he launched the Kwara State chapter of the Oodua Dependable Security Team, Naija News reports.
Adams admitted that Kwara is, although a North Central state, it has, over the years, remained an integral part of the Yoruba-speaking region.
At the inauguration event yesterday in Offa, Adams said the security team was necessary to beef up security in the South West, adding that the initiative was Oodua People’s Congress’ attempt to rescue the security situation across Yorubaland and beyond.
The statement monitored by Naija News on The PUNCH read: “Various security challenges have most hit Nigeria. The South West is not spared either.
“In our attempt to check the security deficit, there is a need for us to address the situation, and that is why we are here to salvage the situation.”
He further stated that apart from addressing security challenges in the state, the team would assist the existing security agencies with surveillance and information gathering across the 16 local government areas of the state.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland said, “This is part of our plan and ongoing strategy to reduce the security deficit in Yoruba land. The security team is to re-energise our grassroots security network across the South West region and beyond.
“Of the 36 states in Nigeria, Kwara is the ninth largest in area, but the sixth least populous, with an estimated population of about five million people.
“The Oodua Dependable Security Team will be complementing the efforts of the police in the state, especially in the area of intelligence gathering and surveillance.”
He established during the inauguration in Offa that the newly constituted security team will take care of security issues across the 16 local governments in the state.
“We have our security team that is very active and visible in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Kwara is our present point of call for the launching and inauguration of the Oodua Security Dependable Team because I believe that the state is very strategic to us in Yoruba land,” Adam added.
Earlier in his remark, the Kwara State coordinator of the Oodua Dependable Security Team, Comrade Ganiyu Oladipu, expressed hope that with the inauguration of the Oodua team, Kwara would become safer for residents.
Speaking further, Aare Adams urged the Kwara State Government as well as traditional rulers across the state, to support the initiative, stressing that the focus is to assist the state in ensuring adequate security.
Members of the National Executive Council and the National Coordinating Council of the Oodua People’s Congress were present at the event.
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