Foremost Yoruba traditional ruler the Arole Oodua and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has condemned the attack on three Ekiti State obas on Monday and killing two of them the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola and Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin, Elesun of Esun-Ekiti by gunmen.
The departed royal fathers were killed in an ambush while returning to their respective kingdoms from a peaceful routine meeting at Oke Ako, Ekiti State.
Speaking on Tuesday as Co-Chairman of the National Council Of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) in a statement by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, the Ooni commiserated with families of the departed obas, the people of Imojo-Ekiti, and Esun-Ekiti, Ekiti State, the government and Ekiti State council of Obas and Chiefs.
He described the incident as a sacrilegious audacity deliberately planned and executed to undermine security capacity of Nigeria, admonishing the state government and the Federal government to expedite investigations into “this barbaric act and ensure that the perpetrators face the full wrath of the law.”
According to the statement: “Assassinating traditional rulers in cold blood! This is absolutely unacceptable to us. If this could happen to the traditional rulers, what would then become hopes for their common subjects who look up to them for local security interventions?
“This is a pure sacrilege and it is a deliberate display of criminal audacity to undermine the government’s security control capacity.
“This reprehensible act has not only robbed us of noble leaders but has also left a scar on the fabric of our unity and peaceful coexistence as a Nation. Government must stop at nothing to ensure the perpetrators are arrested and made to face justice”.
Oba Ogunwusi called on the Federal Government to prioritize the establishment of community policing across the nation in view of the worsening insecurity across the land.
He said the recent spate of killings and kidnappings of traditional rulers and school children across the country highlights the urgent need for a robust, community-oriented security system.
To him, community policing, with its emphasis on local involvement, will be helpful to enhance intelligence gathering, deter criminal activities, and ensure the safety of Nigerians.
His words: “We cannot continue like this. Several of our school children are still languishing in the undetected incarceration of these heartless terrorists.
“A party state chairman in Lagos state was a victim recently. What about the recently abducted school children in Ekiti state? Six sisters in Abuja not too long ago with one of them killed. Similar cases across the country. Who is safe in this country again? Enough is enough.
“The time should not be later than now for Government both at states and Federal levels to show practical capacity in the area of security management and operations.
“The traditional rulers in Nigeria must be motivated with statutory community policing policy needed to work officially with government as we remain the closest leaders to the people, we know the traditional techniques to get rid of all these unfortunate situation.
“We are no cowards and we are ready to rise to the occasion defending our traditional land. Get us statutorily involved and see that what we inherited from our respective ancestors are still intact and real.”
He said: “We traditional rulers in Yorubaland and Nigeria at large commiserate and sympathise with families of the affected traditional rulers.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ekiti State during this trying time and with all our subjects across the country who have been victims of terrorist killings and kidnappings.
“May the souls of the departed Monarchs rest in peace, and may their families find strength and solace in these difficult times.”
