As reports swirl of increased infiltration of the South West region by bandits, Boko Haram and ISWAP members, monarchs in the zone say they have resorted to the traditional means of securing the zone.
The traditional rulers also vowed to ensure that the South West would not be a haven for bandits or insurgents.
Chairman, Council of Chiefs in Ondo State, the Deji of Akure land, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Michael Adeleye said to Vanguard:
“The influx of bandits into some parts of Southwest as raised by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is a pointer to the fact that the Military is seriously working and their efforts at flushing out bandits from the country are yielding the desired results.
“However, with the recent information of their possible influx into the southwest, let me say categorically that the South West cannot be a haven for any bandit group being displaced from far away north.
“The traditional institutions are working with the South-West Governors to ensure that our area is secured. On our part, we are reaching out to all our Olus and Chiefs in the forest reserve areas to look out for any strange faces and ensure that they do not allow their subjects or residents of their various communities from harbouring strange faces.
On his part, the chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Ruler. Oba Olori Faboro, said :
“We have taken enough steps, we have Amotekun here and about this time last year, the Governor set up the Agro Marshall, and they patrol our farms. The incident of kidnapping here is not the way it was before over a year ago.
“The police have been doing a fantastic job. All these social media news, I don’t subscribe to them.
The Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, added: “We must all be vigilant. The Federal Government must be in constant dialogue with traditional rulers to check the menace. We are the ones in the rural areas, we know the terrain; we know the people”.
