Acting Afenifere National Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo
The pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, said it was not interested in whether or not bandits are designated as terrorists but insisted that the Federal Government should do the needful by protecting Nigerians from insurgents.
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Jare Ajayi said: “Afenifere is not interested in whatever name the Federal Government wants to name those who are doing wrong or those breaking the law of the land.
What we are interested in is the Federal Government taking decisive actions against those committing crimes including terrorism, armed robbery, banditry and others. So, giving us reasons as to why it has not declared bandits as terrorists is not our concern.
What we are interested in is for the Federal Government to provision of the welfare of the people and the protection of lives and properties but the Government has failed in these areas.
We are not interested in those reasons but what we are interested in is what the Federal Government ought to be done constitutionally.
Whether the Federal Government wants to confirm with international or local laws is not our concern. Our concern is for those in office to live up to the oath of office they swore to; they must live up to the constitutional provision which is to provide for the welfare and security of Nigerians.
In any case, this present administration has shown that it takes actions convenient for it. Why is it that in the declaration of bandits as terrorists that the federal government now remembers international laws and things like that?
For example, which law says that the government can invade somebody’s house at midnight, killing two people and detaining others without a proper court procedure. I am referring to Chief Sunday Adeyemo’s home invasion.
We want to make it clear that we in Afenifere are not interested in whatever nomenclature that Government is giving to kidnappers, armed robbers and others, our interest and what we keep telling Government to do is to put an end to all this evil meted out to people.
Several communities especially in the north have been ransacked, people have fled their homes. Such a thing should come to an end. We are interested in government putting an end to this crisis.”
Vanguard
