The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has strongly condemned the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, labeling the escalating insecurity in Yorubaland as alarming and unacceptable.
In a statement released by its President, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, OPC called on governors across the South-West and other Yoruba-speaking states to urgently collaborate with local security outfits, hunters, and vigilante groups to tackle the rising wave of terrorism and banditry.
The group expressed outrage over the reported beheading of kidnapped teacher Michael Oyedokun, describing the act as barbaric and provocative.
Highlighting the continuous attacks on schools, farmers, and commuters, OPC warned that criminal elements are gaining dangerous access to communities across Yorubaland. “We cannot continue to fold our arms while terrorists invade our towns and villages to kidnap and kill innocent people at will. Enough is enough,” the statement read.
OPC reiterated its call for the government to officially empower and equip self-determination groups to flush out criminal gangs hiding in forests terrorizing residents. The group also blamed political leaders in the South-West for ignoring repeated warnings about armed bandits and terrorists operating within the region.
The organisation urged governors to declare a state of emergency on insecurity, convene all local security stakeholders, and support conventional security agencies in restoring peace. OPC also emphasized the need for fast-tracking the creation of state police, citing localised policing as a critical solution to rising insecurity.
Finally, the group appealed to federal and state authorities to intensify efforts toward securing the release of abducted children and teachers in the Ogbomoso axis of Oyo State.
