Owo Attack: Insecurity Stimulating Imminent Civil War, OPC Warns ...Vows to protect Yorubaland

The Oodua People's Congress (OPC) has warned that the activities of bandits and the worsening insecurity in the country are threatening the continued unity of Nigeria. The OPC in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oguntimehin, urged those bent on fomenting trouble in the country to refrain from attacking the South-west region, saying such would be met with stiff resistance. The group, while reacting to the rising spate of insecurity across the country, especially with the repeated attack on Owo town in Ondo State, insisted that South-west region should not be taken for granted by the perpetrators. Oguntimehin decried the various terrorists' attacks on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and some parts of the North, stressing that the porous security situation in the country is a pointer to imminent war capable of pushing Nigeria to the precipice. He blamed the federal government for failing to act decisively on the issue of security, as the docile posture of the government is giving the impression that it has been overwhelmed by the protracted security challenges. According to the OPC, "Going with the present situation in the country, it is evident that the federal government has been overwhelmed by the rising spate of insecurity in the country. President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to match his words with actions. "For instance, public schools in Abuja, Nasarawa State and some other parts of the North are shutting down as a result of the rising insecurity. "The situation is getting worse by the day with numbers of killings increasing sporadically. "However, there is an urgent need for the South-west governors to rise to the security situation before it is too late. We should not take the terrorists' threats with levity. We must act now." Oguntimehin, while urging all indigenes of Yorubaland to be vigilant, assured the people of the Southwest that the OPC would not relent in its efforts to forestall any security breach. He said: "There are reports that terrorists have relocated from the Middle Belt to the Southwest. So we need to be vigilant because it is evident that the security architecture of the federal government has failed already. "So the OPC will continue to offer the necessary support in terms of surveillance and intelligence gathering in order to bolster the security situation in the region."