ILE-IFE IN THE HAND OF BANDITS

Unprovoked Attack Of Chief Shina Omodunbi On 10th April, 2021 - My Account

By Niyi Murele

I was on my way to the palace to catch up with other delegates on our way to attend a business meeting towards the official launch of Ife Heritage Investment Company Ltd. Driving through Iremo and getting to front of Latale compound l noticed pockets of crowds with surprising looks. I knew something had happened. While still on the road, everything became chaotic with youths carrying all manners of weapons in their hands many of them on bikes and some on their legs. Residents took to their heels and many took cover for their lives. By the time my driver and l will get to the palace area, they have barricaded the road to palace from Okerewe roundabout and crowds have gathered in front of the palace gate. All traffics were forced to turn back by this rampaging mobs with all kinds of weapons in their hands. I got out of my car to ask the guy heading the barricade why the barricade. 

The young man politely explained to me that a woman from Modakeke has been beheaded by a ritualist in Latale compound and Modakeke people have come to Ife and that’s the cause of all this chaos. While talking to him, l was joined by other delegates–Mr Duduyemi, Mr Rotifa and Engr Awoyele. They removed the barricade and granted both cars passage and we headed towards Moore. We thought that was all. As we  were approaching Moore, we were overtaken by this rampaging mob again but this time a bit more aggressive. Eventually we got caught in the middle of the chaos while waiting to pick Dr. Mrs Olabode, interestingly not too far away from Moore police barracks. l noticed a police van in the midst of the mob convoy but that didn’t deter them but somehow the mob fizzled out thereafter and the traffic returned to normal. The unprovoked attack against Chief Omodunbi took place after this incidence. That means, although the mob fizzled out on Moore road, just for the misguided miscreants to continue their activities right inside our peaceful compounds. Considering what took place in Latale compound on that day, it was this crop of miscreants that carried out the targeted attack on Chief Shina Omodunbi. No doubt they were deployed by their paymasters considering their utterances on “Oro-Ilu” as they work towards ending his life but for God’s intervention. It’s become important now to know those who hate Oro-Ilu in Ife and why?

In my engagement the previous night to this incidence with community residents, I was informed about the presence of hoodlums in our community. Some of them are non-Ifes but have found Ife to be conducive for their atrocities through the support and collaboration of some Ife indigenes who employ their services to perpetrate evils and terrorise people in our community. Most compounds in Ife have turned to ghettos and marijuana joints and no go areas. I also learnt about the growth of cultism in Ife with prominent people in our community being initiated and using their membership to oppress community residents. Recently two young men killed each other in a gun battle. These two young men were from two rival camps under prominent Ife leaders fighting over Ife common wealth being used to amass wealth for themselves. Interestingly, we’ve not seen or heard any action from the community leaders or the law enforcement agents.

There’s another crop of this people that goes round on daily basis to different building sites in Ife to terrorise workmen. I spoke with a prominent Ife son who narrated his recent ordeal at his building site. The first set of gangs came, he gave them money. Shortly thereafter another set came with all manners of weapons including guns, beat his workmen and threaten to kill him also if he doesn’t pay up. He was forced to part with over N100,000 on that day between both gangs.

I’ve taken time to reel out all of the above to draw our attention to the fact that Ife is not the safe and peaceful community that some of us grew up to know, and except we all rally together to condemn this act of unprovoked attack against Chief Omodunbi, our city may become the den of bandits and miscreants, compounding our social and economic deprivation problems. My second reason for reeling out the above is to proffer suggestions for immediate actions and possible solutions. 

Here are my thoughts as regards what must be done:-

• Our leaders and elders must come together and deliberate on the safety of the city on the account of recent incident. I expect our traditional leaders to feature prominently in this engagement. It’s painful to see our Kings, Chiefs and Sookos in their traditional attires only on social occasions but they are absent and quiet when there’s violence on our streets. With exception of few, I still don’t understand while our kings, chiefs and sookos area bsent when Ife sons and daughters are making contributions towards developmental initiatives in Ife, but they are in front to share Ife commonwealth. We cannot handle Ife safety and security issues in this manner. We can only win the battle against banditry, violence and hooliganism on our streets in unity. I appeal to the mall not to let us down on this issue as we have no other town to call our home than Ile-Ife.

• The objectives of their meeting must include developing a robust strategy to confront this evil in our community. We must ensure all our leaders are not associated with these miscreants and their cult activities otherwise the whole exercise will be sabotaged. Part of the strategy must be to engage Baales of different compounds most especially the ones that have become marijuana ghettoes for private and confidential information about such activities in their communities and the culprits behind it. The forum must agree on how to confront the menace.

• The confrontation exercise must start with a communique to police commands at local and state levels of their deliberations and findings. The communique must include an official request for the collaborations of the police commands working in tandem with our local vigilante. The duo must agree on a clean-up operation. Our local vigilante will be useful in providing local intelligence and support for the police commands to smoke out this villains from our community. In addition, sons and daughters of Ife with security experience and background must be encouraged to lend their wealth of skills to salvage our city from bandit’s invasion. There’s a need for standing committee on security in Ife for continuous monitoring of security issues to avoid any re-grouping.

I appeal to all Ife sons and daughters both home and abroad to rise up to this threatening situation. I believe some of our people must have been trying their best but the 10th of April experience coupled with other incidences and previous news of killings, maiming and ease of dismembering human beings in Ife including that of the woman killed and dismembered in Latale compound calls for a great concern.

As we have no other place to return to as our home, we must ensure our community is safe and prosperous. We must not also allow any one to bully people to silence about issues concerning our town. A programme like Oro Ilu can only be problematic for perpetrators of evil in Ife, otherwise the programme has been a blessing to many. Why should anyone want to kill Chief Omodunbi for being a blessing to his community?

Lastly I’ll like to appeal to His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi  not to keep quiet on this issue. Kabiyesi’s words at this moment is very important and reassuring to all of us both home and abroad that our community is safe for our return to live and to invest. Condemning the act will send a strong warning to all hoodlums that Ife kingdom is unwelcoming to their activities. May Kabiyesi’s reign be filled with peace and prosperity and His Imperial Majesty increase in wisdom in Jesus name.

Amen.