Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
A socio-cultural group, Yoruba Youth Forum (YYF) Ogun state chapter, has warned herdsmen migrating to the state, to desist from activities capable of threatening peace in the state.
The chairman of the group, Olusola Adewusi, who gave this warning in a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of YYF, Adesesan Ajayi, a copy made available to our correspondent, on Saturday, in Abeokuta, said the warning had become imperative in the face of the report of massive migration of the herdsmen to the state from Oke Ogun and Ibarapa areas of Oyo State.
He urged herdsmen who involve in legitimate business and live peacefully with their hosts in the state to devise means to fish out criminal elements living among them.
Adewusi said a lot of atrocities such as rape, kidnapping, robbery, wanton destruction of farms and murder had been alleged to be committed by the herdsmen in the southwest, calling on the youths to be vigilant and report any crime to the appropriate security agencies.
He noted that Nigerian constitution allows every Nigerian to live and do business anywhere in the country, stressing that killing, raping, kidnapping and other criminal acts being perpetrated by killer herdsmen should be tackled by the security agencies, to prevent people from resorting to jungle justice.
YYF chairman, however, warned youths in the state not to take laws into their hands and maintain peace, maintaining that security agencies remain the constitutional apparatus to handle issues of insecurity.
Adewusi, however, commended the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, for taking security of lives and property of residents of the state seriously by providing patrol vans, bikes and other equipment to various security outfits, to combat insecurity.
He also lauded the governor for giving his full support to the southwest security network, Amotekun, established to enhance security of the region.