Buhari meets South-West monarchs today on insecurity

The Arole of Oodua and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, will today lead South-West monarchs to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue of insecurity in the region.A presidency source said that Buhari personally requested for the meeting to enable him dialogue with the monarchs on how to achieve lasting peace and security in the region.According to the source: “The president will on Wednesday meet with traditional rulers in Yorubaland on the challenges facing the South-West region, especially on the issue of insecurity. The delegation will be led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II”.The Ooni had few days ago met with President Buhari asking for an urgent solution to the worsening state of insecurity in the country.He had told reporters following the closed-door meeting that he was at the Villa on behalf of traditional rulers “to speak to the president with a view to tackling the fragile security situation in the country.”Following the visit, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has been visiting prominent monarchs in Yorubaland in the last few days, brainstorming on how to address the challenges in the region.The region has been in the news lately over the criminal activities of alleged killer herdsmen who have been killing, raping and kidnapping farmers and travelers.They were also suspected to have been responsible for the death of Mrs. Funke Olakunri, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, who was murdered in Ondo State a fortnight ago.Reacting to the killing, Afenifere last week had issued an ultimatum to the suspected killer herdsmen and Fulani vigilantes, set up by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of the dire consequences of the crime.In a related development, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) has reportedly apologised to some Southern leaders over the boycotting of the roundtable on security which held in Minna at his behest on Sunday.The leaders, under the aegis of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), disclosed that they had bought air tickets and concluded arrangements to travel by air to the summit but were compelled to dishonour the invitation in a last-minute decision when they discovered the inclusion of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) of Nigeria among those invited.One of the leaders said on Tuesday that Abdulsalami called the leaders and profusely apologised, saying he did not see the issue the way it was portrayed.“In fairness to him he called some of our leaders and apologised to them on the day he received our letter. He said he did not see it that way”.Daily Independent