By Yusuf Adua

A non-partisan, grass-root interest group, Peoples’ Awareness Initiatives (PAI) has given a warning to the Oyo state government that a stay at home order will be enforced in Akinyele local government to protest against the current security situation within the local government area if any significant positive effect is not seen within the shortest of timeframe.

PAI stated this in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday expressing deep grief over the incessant killings of innocent souls and conspiracy that enveloped the leaky security situation since the commencement of gruesome serial murders in May 2020 within Akinyele locality.

The manner and sequence of the murders; the seemingly perfect coordination and perpetration, the inability of security agencies to be in control of the situation, the unfathomable escape of the prime suspect from police custody, as well as the supposed ungracious immunity from arrest to some fingered “big wigs” suggesting the invincibility of the assailants among others have left the forum completely befuddled.

According to the statement, ” The people of Akinyele LGA are breaking out in a cold sweat and could no longer condone making the community a hot ‘spot’ for ritual killers where brutal murders mostly for suspected rituals and other circumstances will be happening almost on daily basis”.

The disaster which sadly earlier deposited Barakat Bello, Azeezat Somuyiwa, Grace Osiague, Mujeeb Tirimisiyu, Olusayo Fagbemi Aisha, Dolapo and Deola Bamidele, Omotoke Grace and one unnamed woman between May and July into their unfortunate and untimely grave_home had received a public outcry from Akinyele people but it became more devastating when one Mrs. Oladejo Funmilayo was freshly gruesomely murdered at Onikeke Village, Akinyele town on 13th of August, 2020 after the purported escape of the suspect who also confessed to have being the architect of the woes, Mr. Sunday Sodipe from police custody and his reemergence around Onikeke area where the last brutal murder later occurred.

“How does Oyo State Government curb this disaster as soon as possible? Can we rely on these security operatives anymore? Do you want to allow these criminals to kill us all? Are we animals? How do we manage seeing our next neighbours being raped and or axed to death for rituals almost on a daily basis? The fear of who is the next victim is the beginning of wisdom for all of us. Are we not doomed?”, The association possed.

We shouldn’t forget that on the 17th of August, the suspect, Mr. Sunday Sodipe, and his purported master, Mr. Adedokun Yunusa (herbalist) were paraded by the police and they confessed their involvement in the serial murder.

PAI demanded a clear explanation from the Nigerian Police to the public the circumstances surrounding the supposed escape of the suspect from custody and why other people allegedly honing the murder syndicate has not been arrested. They, however, charged the Nigerian Police, in whose custody Mr. Sunday Sodipe was kept to reproduce and re-parade him in two weeks’ time.

Failure of the security operatives to meet those demands, PAI said they would call for a stay at home order on Tuesday, 1st of September, 2020 as a civil way to register their protest over the leaky security situation in the local government area.

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Enunciating the implication of the protest, they said, ” the good people of Akinyele would observe ‘a stay at home order’ on Tuesday when: there will be no market activities within Akinyele LGA, no transportation except for emergency situations within Akinyele LGA and no social activities within Akinyele LGA”.

The statement highlighted categorically that the measure is not to invoke any security threat to the public but to sway swiftly the concerned authority and the Oyo State Government in particular into serious action in putting a lasting solution to the ceaseless killings in the area

The organization which seized the opportunity to remind Oyo state government its prime responsibility which is to provide security for all and sundry, irrespective of any consideration said ” Where this fails, despondency may set in, leading to a loss of confidence in the government. It is imperative that people should not be allowed to take recourse to self-help in an attempt to secure their lives and properties”.

They also inched the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Oluwasewyi Makinde, that he is obligated to the people of Akinyele Local Government Area, and by extension, all residents of Oyo State the duty of making sure they all live, transact business and interrelate under a secure, peaceful and harmonious environment which the current security situation within the local government area doesn’t guarantee as we speak.