The Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), has called on governors of the South-West zone, Kwara, Kogi and other states described as Yoruba-speaking to immediately declare a state of emergency over worsening insecurity.
The call was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Chairman of Dr Frederick Fasehun’s OPC Caretaker Committee, Kazeem Lawal, following the killing of more than 100 persons in Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The OPC described the killings as heartbreaking and provocative, urging the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and security agencies to launch a massive manhunt to locate and apprehend those responsible.
Lawal cautioned governors in the affected states against politicising the security situation and instead called for collaboration to find urgent and lasting solutions.
“Governors of the 10 Yoruba-speaking states must immediately declare a state of emergency on security to reflect the gravity of the situation. With the activities of terrorists, bandits and jihadists, all Nigerians face an existential threat,” the statement said.
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The group said those responsible for the killings must be apprehended and prosecuted, stressing that all available resources should be deployed to restore security in the affected communities.
The OPC also urged security agencies to be more proactive rather than reactionary in tackling non-state actors across the country.
It warned that it would not allow insecurity to overwhelm the South-West, adding that it remained ready to defend Yoruba land and its people.
According to the organisation, the rising insecurity appeared to be deliberately targeted at undermining the administration of President Bola Tinubu.