…invites five northern governors
“Tomorrow, there will be a stakeholders meeting where my fellow governor’s from about five Northern states, some of whom are Fulanis will be in Abeokuta to discuss the way forward.”
Following ceaseless attacks by the armed herdsmen on the inhabitants of Asa, Igbooro, Agbon-Ojodu, Ibeku, Moro, Kodera and Ijale-Ketu communities in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, the state governor, Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that a stakeholders meeting would be organized on Tuesday to find a lasting solution to the security challenge.
The meeting scheduled to hold in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, would be attended by five northern governors.
Governor Abiodun who made this known while on on-the-spot assessment of affected areas on Monday evening, said that the stakeholders’ meeting became imperative in light of the incessant crisis between the herdsmen and farmers in the state, noting “it is important for every Nigerian to leave together as one family”.
“Tomorrow, there will be a stakeholders meeting where my fellow governor’s from about five Northern states, some of whom are Fulanis will be in Abeokuta to discuss the way forward.
“We are Nigerians and we should find a way to leave together, we shouldn’t be killing ourselves, nobody should make the killing of others a priority, nobody should kill the cows of others, while the cow of some people shouldn’t be feeding on the crops of farmers, all these will be discussed tomorrow,” he said.
Abiodun, while urging the people of the areas to be patient with his administration, assured that his administration would take care of all the medical expenses of the injured, as well as compensate those who lost their properties to the attack.
“All those at the hospital will be taken care of by the state government; all those who lost their property will be compensated, the Commissioner for Special Duties will be back to look at those who lost their property and they will be compensated,” he said.
While assuring the people of the area that they would soon start to feel the presence of security operatives that would be stationed in the axis, the governor added that the security operatives that would comprise men of the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Civil Defense, State Security Service and local hunters would be well equipped with vehicles, motorcycles and Communication gadgets.
“Before the attack on Sunday night, I had set up a special taskforce for Yewaland; I have bought new cars, new motorcycles for them, that task force has policemen, soldiers, Civil Defence, Department of State Security Service and vigilantes to help us in this axis.
By the grace of God, tomorrow, the new cars, motorcycles and communication gadgets will be handed over to the Special Task Force, they will be here, they will not go anywhere, they will be here to secure this area from attacks,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, while appreciating the people for their patience and tolerance, assured the people that the security task force to be sent to curb the menace of the herdsmen in the area would reside permanently in the area.
Olugbenle, while calling on the people to cooperate with the task force when they arrive in the area, urged the people to be calm, saying the governor is ready to support the people of the area.
Also, the lawmaker representing Yewa North State Constituency 2 at the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Haruna Egungbohun, while commending the state governor for not being a sectional leader, urged the people to be patient with the Abiodun-led administration.
