The Serikin Sasa in Ibadanland, Oyo State, Alhaji Haruna Mai Yasin Katsina has declared that any Fulani man claiming not to know the criminals among his tribesmen in the community where he lives, is a liar.
The Serikin Sasa stated this on Friday, January 29, 2021, during an emergency stakeholders’ meeting at the headquarters of Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko had called the meeting to enable the stakeholders deliberate on security issues in the wake of recent crises in the state.
Among those at the stakeholders’ meeting were state heads of Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, as well as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Others at meeting were the Senior Special Adviser on Security, CP Fatai Owoseni (retd), traditional, community and ethnic leaders, local government chairmen, farmers, Miyetti Allah and youth organization leaders.
Alhaji Katsina, while speaking, said that anyone who knows a criminal, but does not report such to people or security agencies, are not only injuring themselves, but also adding to the ones being nursed by the nation.
He said: “Any Fulani man, whether you are Seriki, and you say that you don’t know any criminal among your people in your community, then you are a liar.
“I’m challenging them. They should come together and help the state, so that we can all live in peace. Where they are now, they don’t have rest of mind. They are being hunted because they are afraid to tell the (security) leaders the truth about those giving problems.
“If they say they don’t know the kidnappers, how do they know how to bail the suspects arrested for kidnapping? When a kidnapper abducts someone, it is the Fulani heads within the area that would go and pay the ransom and bring the victim back home.
“How do they know the person? Who do they speak with? How do they go to the kidnappers? And they are saying they don’t know them (kidnappers)? They are liars; they know them.
“Why don’t they tell the police that this is where the kidnappers are residing? If someone calls himself ‘charge and bail’, then he is a thief.
“There is no Fulani man that will stand with me and say that he doesn’t know the kidnappers or armed robbers within the Fulani.
“The Fulani also kidnap themselves and their heads will be the ones to go and pay ransom. If you don’t know someone, or have anything to do with him, how do you have the boldness to go and meet and discuss with him, and then to pay?”
He called on the Fulani to come out and help the people of the state and themselves, so that all could live in peace in the state and in Nigeria.
“If a Fulani is arrested during robbery operation or kidnapping, people would be saying that all the Fulani are kidnappers or armed robbers.
“But they are very few among us; only that they are being helped by their leaders. These are the challenges we are facing now in Nigeria,” he added.
“The leaders know the criminals among them. There are intermediaries between the kidnappers and the families of victims. They know them.
“I want such intermediaries to be exposed. If you are afraid of exposing them, come and tell me. I’m over 100 years in age and not afraid to die. Tell me and I’ll report them to security operatives.
“You should stop giving security agencies unnecessary problems before they would catch criminals. No criminal shows himself as one. We will not leave anyone who is behind crime in our community, state and Nigeria generally, no matter the person’s position,” he spoke further.
In her opening remarks, state Commissioner of Police, Onadeko, told the gathering that laws of the land would be enforced on
those exhibiting lawlessness and committing crimes with impunity, whenever they are caught, no matter the position they hold in the society.
The state police boss said that she decided to call the impromptu meeting because of what had been happening in the state.
“We need to brainstorm and seek solution to how we can make Oyo State to be peaceful, so that we shun all the violence we have been witnessing for the past two, three weeks.
“I’ve come to tell all of us that we need peace in our communities and the state. If there is no peace, we can’t have economic growth or any development.
“Crime has no ethnic boundary or colour. We have good and bad people in all ethnicities. What we should do is to come in together and fish out all these criminal elements among us.
“Let us partner together with the police and other security agencies. We are in the time of community policing now, let us all come together and work as one entity.
“We should not think of where someone comes from regarding his criminal activities. I want to challenge us to sit down, talk and agree with one voice to fight those committing crime and criminality in the society, irrespective of ethinicity, religion, or colour.
“All the security agencies in Oyo State are all working hand-in-hand; in synergy, and cooperating to make the state safer for us all.
“Anyone caught committing all these crimes and criminality, no matter who you are, no matter how high, low or middle-placed you are, we will enforce the laws of the land. We will do a thorough investigation, and anybody found wanting will be prosecuted.
“This will make the carnage and destructions to stop. Note that nobody will be after you, provided you are a law-abiding citizen and doing your legal duties. We are only after those people that are committing crime.
“I plead with everyone to let us join hands together and practise community policing. In the police force, we promise visibility policing.
“In every nook and cranny of the state, we will make sure that policemen and women are there, and we will respond promptly to any distress call.
“Also, we need intelligence-based information, so that we will be able to nip crimes in the bud,” she stated.
In his contribution, the Baale of Ekotedo, Chief Taiye Ayorinde described the meeting as the first step towards finding solution to problems in the state.
Chief Ayorinde, who said that Ibadan had been the most peaceful, progressive and accommodating among all the cities in Nigeria, stated that criminal acts of kidnapping and armed robbery were not new to the federal government.
Going down the memory lane, the Baale of Ekotedo said that when Amotekun Corps was started by the South West states, it was opposed by the federal government, which forgot that it was not having enough security operatives to police Nigeria generally, and Oyo State particularly.
He condemned the acts of some traditional leaders who sold their birthrights through collection of cows in exchange for pieces of land.
“You have to be watchful of such leaders and remove them from their exalted positions,” Chief Ayorinde said.
He advised that everything should be handled with caution, as Sunday Igboho’s reaction must have been as a result of actions that were injurious to others.
“Let us unite and collaborate with officers, and report those misbehaving.
“Security agents are supposed to be neutral. The job is not easy, as they are human beings too. They face guns, but are ill-equipped. They are not well paid also,” he added.
The Senior Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, CP Owoseni (retd), in his comments, said that
the stakeholders security meeting was long overdue, describing it as a good initiative.
Owoseni further said that it,demonstrated that the new leadership of the police and the other security heads found it essential and were passing a message that the people sitting back in the community are actually the government, as well as law enforcement and security agents, not only those wearing the uniform.
He noted that since EndSARS protests, things had been as if there was no government or police again.
“The security challenges we have now, the EndSARS protests have made it to be like there is no government in the country or state again. We should change our mindsets.”
Oyo State Corps Commander of the FRSC, Uche Chukwurah decried a situation whereby a number of motorcycle riders commit a lot of atrocities, as they rob, snatch bags and other valuables and kidnap people, using their bikes.
“Let’s take time to know the particular job the bike riders who enter Ibadan communities are doing.
“We are pleading with traditional leaders and local government chairmen to get to the grassroots and talk to people. Security and safety is everybody’s business,” Chukwurah said.
The state Director of DSS in her comments said that security agencies need adequate intelligence.
“We need to get the criminals living in our midst. We need to fish out the bad eggs and let them be prosecuted. Let the law take its course, as a nation or state with no peace cannot progress or develop.
“We all have a stake in security. We all have roles to play, and we need to help so that we can sleep with two eyes closed,” she also stated.
