Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has warned Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to desist from its plot to infiltrate the South-West Security Network better known as Amotekun, saying that the call by the group for inclusion of its members and other ethnic groups in the zone was a ploy to weaken the security outfit and also put the region in perpetual security threat.
Publicity Secretary of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Barrister Yinka Oguntimehin, gave this warning on Tuesday in a press release, copy of which it made available to the Nigerian Tribune.
Oguntimehin, while issuing the warning, expressed worry that MACBAN had created the greatest security challenges in Nigeria, further described the call by the cattle herders as an attempt to overrun all the security architectures of the region, saying it cannot afford to see the South-West facing the kind of security challenges faced daily in the North-East and North-West.
“OPC will never allow Miyetti Allah to set our region on fire. We cannot afford to see the South-West facing the kind of security challenges faced daily in the North-East and North-West. Our group will never fold its arms and see the South-West being overrun by herdsmen and marauders. That is why we are warning leaders of the group to desist from their sinister motives and leave Amotekun alone in the region.”
Oguntimehin condemned the call made by leader of the Oyo State chapter of the Fulani herders, Ibrahim Jiji, describing it as irrational and unjust, maintaining that the group lacked the credibility to call for its inclusion into Amotekun and would, therefore, resist any attempt to soil the name of the security outfit.
The OPC chieftain urged the Federal Government to beam a searchlight on Jiji for making such requests, adding that no Yoruba group had ever called for inclusion into the Northern security outfits like Hisbah, or the Middle-Belt security outfit.
“What do these Fulani herders want from us? Do they want to weaken or polarise our security outfit? The call was irrational and unjust, and we will resist any attempt to soil the name of Amotekun.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune