The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, has called on President Bola Tinubu to summon necessary political will to arrest this very ugly situation.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, in a statement issued Sundaya said reports in the last few days painted a gory picture of the situation.
It lamented that the South-west, hitherto considered as relatively safe, was now a theatre of the unfortunate situation as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Mr. Phillip Aivoji and a few others were kidnapped at Ogere, Ogun State on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway last week Thursday when returning to Lagos.
Afenifere recalled that last Saturday, January 27th, gunmen attacked the residence of Chairman of Oyo State Tipper, Lorry and Quarry Park Management System, Alhaji Akeem Akintola, popularly known as KUSO at Ajiboye area, Omi Adio, Ibadan and whisked him away.
Citing the recent kidnap incidents in Otu, Saki and Okaka in Oke-ogun area of Oyo State, incessant abductions in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, sacking of communities in Niger State, Afenifere asserted that there were indications that some of these incidents had signatures of insiders as conspirators or collaborators, if not masterminds.
It said: “Nigerians are surely anxious to see a positive turnaround to the hardships currently in the land. It is however very important that their lives and property be secured even now, because it is a person who is alive and hearty that will enjoy whatever largesse that comes in ‘the near future’ to quote the president’s speech.
“This is where tackling the issue of insecurity now ravaging the land becomes very imperative and critical.
“Afenifere is sure that the Tinubu-led government is capable of arresting the ugly phenomenon. This is why we have been suggesting the means to achieve this”.
“Among the steps suggested were urgent conveyance of cluster meetings with various communities where the stakeholders would be reminded of the risks and destructions such an act was causing them.
“Government should also tell participants that henceforth, those who are caught, including collaborators, would face stiff penalties not ruling out death penalties. At such meetings, collaborators and informants would be there to hear that the government is now determined to be ruthless with hoodlums and terrorists.
Afenifere reiterated its call on the President to issue an Executive Order proclaiming multi-level police forces.