The President of the Oodua Progressive Care Initiative (OPCI), Dr Maruff Olarewaju, has attributed the insecurity which has engulfed Yorubaland now, and is spreading like wildfire, to the failure by the government and security agencies to promptly act when action was needed.
He said: “Negligence, carelessness, and I don’t care attitude among some leaders and stakeholders have allowed the crisis to deepen.
“For too long, both political and traditional leaders remained silent at the moments when their voices mattered most. While the bandits terrorised parts of Kwara and Kogi States — kidnapping and killing Yoruba people — many Yoruba Obas and political leaders looked away.
“The result is visible: more than 30 communities have been deserted, especially in Ifelodun, Isin, Ekiti, and Oke-Ero Local Government Areas of Kwara State. These areas are overwhelmingly Yoruba, yet the response from those who should defend them was weak and delayed.
“Some traditional rulers and leaders acted as though these attacks did not concern them because Kwara is not formally part of the South West. This is a dangerous illusion. As our elders say, ‘Kòtò tó bá pa ọmọ ẹṣin, yóò pa ọmọ ènìyàn’, which means that the trap that kills a horse will eventually kill a man.
“Whether we accept it or not, Kwara State is part of Yorubaland. What happens to the Yoruba people in Kwara will inevitably affect other Yoruba states.
“The human cost is already severe. Many have been killed, and many more remain in captivity, including Oba Layinka of the Layinka community near Igbaja in Ifelodun LGA. If prominent traditional institutions, such as the Ooni of Ife and other leading Obas, had raised a strong alarm and taken decisive steps early, alongside our political leaders, the escalation seen in Oyo and other areas might have been prevented.
“One cannot help but ask: Are Yoruba people now paper tigers? Why do these bandits attack Yoruba communities with such impunity?
“It is even more troubling that, despite having Yoruba sons and daughters in the highest positions of national security — serving as President, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Inspector General of Police, Comptroller General of Customs, and Director-General of the DSS — Yorubaland remains under attack.”
According to the OPCI President, the situation demands urgent reflection and action, adding that silence and indifference are no longer options.
“Our leaders, both traditional and political, must speak with one voice, act decisively, and put the safety of the Yoruba people above politics and personal comfort. The time to defend our land, our people, and our heritage is now,” he added.
