BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
THE All Progressives Congress lawmaker representing Lagos West in the National Assembly, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, has vowed to join his people from the South West in the defence of their right to life if the security agencies, state and Federal Governments fail to urgently address the insecurity situation in the region.
He hinged his decision to join in the defence on the claim that Government had failed to stop the incessant attacks on communities in Yewa area of Ogun State by Fulani herdsmen.
The senator, who made his position on the issue known in a statement, signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Kayode Odunaro, said the latest of such attacks were the ones brazenly carried out in Yewa North, Imeko, Afon, Ipokia and Yewa South Local Government Area, which had led to several deaths and destruction of property.
“Let it be stated that as a representative of the people sworn to uphold the constitution and the laws of the land, including the right to self defence, I will not hesitate to join my people in the defence of their rights to life, property and peaceful coexistence with others at the back of seeming failure of duly constituted authorities to defend such fundamental rights against anyone or forces,” he said.
The senator argued that, having waited in vain for over two weeks for government’s positive action against what he said were clearly criminal acts of arson and murder, he deemed it fit to call on both the Federal Government and the Ogun State Government to rise up to their constitutional obligations of protecting the lives and properties of all Nigerians, particularly the peace loving people of Yewaland in Ogun State.
While noting that the attacks could no longer be treated with kid gloves, Adeola said relevant authorities must rise up to the challenge, failure of which might make people in the affected communities resort to self help.
“I recall that at various occasions on the floor of the Senate, I contributed to debates on the deteriorating security situation in different parts of the country and was always agitating for restructuring of the security architecture of the country,” he said.
“I made a similar contribution to a Senate wide motion on general security only last week. Now something specific must be done urgently to stop the arson and killings in Yewaland by relevant authorities and security agencies,” the Senator added.
