The Onisabe of Igbobi-Sabe, Lagos Mainland, Oba Owolabi Adeyemi Adeniyi, has urged all Yoruba and Nigerians to pay more attention to security to prevent another Owo massacre.
Oba Adeniyi, who spoke, at the weekend, while reacting to the unfortunate killing of innocent worshippers at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, said such terrible situation calls for immediate action, as security is not the exclusive responsibility of anyone or group of persons, but all.
The monarch lamented that people now sleep with two eyes open, adding that a situation where people are now being massacred in broad daylight cannot be overlooked.
He dismissed the notion that the Owo attack was the first of its kind in the South-West, recalling the attack on Igangan town in Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun, Oyo State in 2021, where 50 people were reportedly massacred.
Oba Adeniyi pledged to rally and galvanise all Obas in Lagos State to take up the issue.
He said: “When you have a problem like this in the Western world, it is not the business of the policemen alone. They combine all forces to face the threat. I am appealing to our government because the usual trend is for the people to blame Obas and traditional rulers and call us all sorts of names.
“Some curse us and accuse us of being compromised but we cannot blame them, because they are talking out of pain and that is why I am speaking up. Perhaps, if every Oba and traditional ruler speaks up, something like this will never happen again. Like you know, Obas don’t have much power, we only console ourselves when we say that we are all government but the truth is we are not.
“The danger is there for all to see now, so it should not be difficult to rally all other Obas to this cause. The Lagos State Council of Obas has about 65 Obas and at every sitting, we have at least 50 Obas attending. I believe we can start from there. Good enough, we also have the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and other officials representing the governor at our meetings. So, we’ll start from there.”
