An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has urged governors in the South-West to urgently strengthen local security outfits as kidnapping and violent crime continue to spread across the region.
The group said security organisations such as Amotekun, the O’dua Peoples Congress (OPC), and other community-based security networks should receive greater support, funding, and manpower to improve their capacity to respond to threats.
In a statement released on Friday, June 5, MURIC Executive Director Ishaq Akintola said recent incidents of abduction and insecurity have made it necessary for state governments to act swiftly.
His remarks come amid growing concern over a series of kidnappings in the South-West, including the recent abduction of 39 pupils and seven teachers in communities within Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
”The recent incursion of bandits into Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Ogbomosho area, where they killed a teacher and kidnapped seven teachers and 39 pupils, has heightened security concerns in the South West.
However, the most disturbing aspect of the gory incident is the beheading of one of the teachers in the kidnapper’s den. This act shows that the bandits we are dealing with are maniacs, unfit for human society,” it said.
MURIC advised South West governments to prepare vigilante groups as first responders, adding that groups like the Oduduwa Peoples Congress (OPC) and Iru Ekun should be empowered in order to halt the advance of bandits.
According to the group, more personnel should be recruited into the Amotekun Corps for effectiveness.
“It is only when we are battle-ready that we can teach criminals the lesson of their lives. The time for sleeping carelessly in Yoruba land is over.
“Our youths must man all routes leading into our communities day and night. Bandits overran the North because of lack of preparedness. We must learn from this.
Above all, governments of the Southwest must be fully ready to properly arm the vigilante groups. More Yoruba youths are also needed to join them because cities are conquered by numbers.
The Yoruba willpower and resilience must be iron-clad at this time. We must be determined to give the marauders a good fight, knowing fully well that they are also ordinary human beings. We must let them know that we are not afraid of them. They also do not want to die,” it added.
MURIC charged Yoruba Muslims to take inspiration from the Glorious Qur’an on the need to confront bandits.
“In a rare manifestation of battlefield emboldment, the Glorious Qur’an assured us that our enemies are mere mortals who feel what we feel. They also can sustain injuries and feel pain just as you can sustain injuries and feel pain (3:140).
“Emboldening us further, the Glorious Qur’an says, ‘And do not weaken in pursuing the enemy. If you are suffering, they are suffering as you are suffering; but you hope from Allah that which they do not hope for. And Allah is Ever-Knowing, All-Wise.’ (4:104)
“We encourage Yoruba Christians to replicate this approach to criminality in the region. Bandits have a field day when we turn and run. But they don’t like confrontation.
“We must, therefore, meet their force with force, bullet for bullet, stratagem for stratagem. There must be a balance of terror if we are going to succeed in stopping these hoodlums.
“Unity is numero uno in this matter. We must not think of our religious, political, or any other differences. ‘E je ki a le akata lo tan… (Let’s first chase the hyena away. . .).
“We must not wait until the enemy descends on us before we take action. Like Boy Scouts, we must ‘Be Prepared.‘ As they say in Latin, ‘Si vis pacem, para bellum’ (i.e., if you want peace, prepare for war).
“For peace to prevail in Yorubaland, we must be permanently on the tiptoes of alertness. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” MURIC added.
Packaged by Adekunle Adegboyega
