Killer herdsmen, bandits will flee Yorubaland if we intervene – Ogun traditional worshippers

 

As the nation searches for a lasting solution to the myriad of security challenges facing it, traditionalists in Ogun State have expressed their readiness to put an end to killings, kidnapping and banditry in Yorubaland.

Ogun State and other states in Nigeria are currently battling with herders, farmers clashes as well as the incessant killing of innocent persons by bandits carrying AK-47 rifles.

Security agents and government at all levels seem to be overwhelmed as reports of deaths, injuries, abduction and carnage keep hitting the media space with no end in sight.

This even resulted in some Nigerians started agitating for self-defence, asking the government to allow everyone to carry arms.

But, leaders of the traditionalists in Ogun State say they have what it takes to save the state and Yorubaland from the security quagmire.

The traditional worshippers believe the South West region got it wrong when it placed so much preference on “Western religions”, ignoring the religion of the African society.

Speaking in an interview in Abeokuta, the Olu Isese of Ogun State, Dr Ifarotimi Adifagbola, disclosed that there are many deities that could be called upon to rise for the defence of the Yoruba race.

Adifagbola, who recently bagged an honourary PhD Award at the African American University, Porto Novo, Republic of Benin, said,
“Our religious extremism has caused us a lot of setbacks. We have jettisoned all we inherited from our forefathers because of Western religions. That is why these herdsmen are killing us like mosquitoes. We have a lot of deities to call upon and they will all rise for our safety whenever we are in trouble. But, we have let go of all of them. Some people say there is no war, we are in a war already. We only need to call on the gods of our ancestors and I know they are already standing up for us.”

In his words, the Oba Isegun of Obada, Chief Ololade Sunday, emphasised that no bandit would be able to wreak havoc in the entire Yoruba land if traditionalists are allowed to employ spiritual powers in confronting them.

Sunday stated that the killing of Yorubas could only happen in communities where the monarchs have no regards for tradition.

In such communities, the traditional leader opined that the Obas have forgotten the gods and are no longer making sacrifices or atonement to appease them.

He explained that the popular activist, Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) could not have embarked on the mission to rescue the Yoruba race if he was not with the necessary spiritual powers.

“If you look critically at some towns where the kings are traditionalists, killings and kidnapping will not happen in their domain. But in those places where there are killings, they no longer respect tradition. Sunday Igboho did not believe in anything aside from God and the powers of our ancestors.

“We have some places in Yorubaland where many cows died mysteriously. Nobody killed them, but there was a kind of “spiritual intervention” after due consultation. If all Pastors, Imams and Obas will allow this same supernatural intervention everywhere, the bandits and killer herdsmen will flee our land voluntarily,” he submitted.

However, Ololade added that there is the need for government’s involvement before traditionalists can perform some rituals, saying that they don’t have the right to pronounce or declare curfew which will not allow the innocent populace to be affected whenever it is time to lay ‘spiritual ambush’ for those perpetrating evil in Yorubaland.