Soji Ajibola, Ibadan
Commercial activities temporarily came to a halt in Ibadan as the son of the Late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Tokunbo, joined the youths and the elderly under the aegis of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups to take over major streets to protest against banditry, kidnapping and related vices in the South-West on Monday.
The protesters who took off at Mapo marched through Bere, Oje, Bus Stop and ended at Government House called on all the tiers of government to proffer lasting solution to the insecurity in the region.
Decrying the recent killings of innocent worshippers at Saint Francis Catholic Church Owo, the protesters declared that enough is enough.
They described the incident and many others that had been recorded in the region as an affront on the Yoruba race.
They submitted that various groups in the region are being advised against taking laws into their hands, at the same time government has to put measures check to the disturbing development.
Addressing market men and women and other groups that later joined the protest train at the popular Oje market, the Secretary General, Coalition of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Chief Steve Abioye urged Yoruba people should to wake up and protect themselves from being slaughtered daily by bandits.
He said, ” Our people should wake up, they are being killed everyday. Yorubaland has never been conquered and that is why we are calling on our people to defend themselves.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Coordinator of the group, Johnson Ajilore noted that Yorubaland had been under siege and the people had determined never to allow themselves to be killed any longer.
He said, “People went to church to worship and some terrorists went there and killed them, it happened in Igangan, they have killed many and kidnapped them in other towns and villages in the South-West.
” Is this how we are going to continue living in fear in our land? Our people must rise up and the time is now .”
One of the elderly persons among the protesters Dr Alabi Arogunmasa, 75, said the youths and the elderly ones must be prepared to defend themselves and their land.
One of the children of late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Tokunbo, who was part of the protest said it was time for Yoruba people to defend their land.
He said the Federal Government was not doing enough to protect the people and had not shown seriousness in fighting terrorism in the country.
He said, ” Why will Federal Government recruit pardoned Boko Haram members into the Arny and expect them not to be sympathetic to their terror group?
“There are many youths with no link with terror groups or criminal records who should be recruited.”
