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The Yoruba Youth Socio-cultural Association (YYSA), has chided the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over his remarks on the killing of Mrs. Funke Olakurin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
This comes as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) urged the former Governor of Lagos State against to desist from “dishing out lies to support anti-Igbo sentiments.”
Besides, the Presidency has urged Nigerians not to politicise the death, pledging that security agencies would spare no effort in apprehending and prosecuting the culprits.
The charge was contained in a statement issued yesterday by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in Abuja.
Tinubu had shortly after commiserating with the bereaved senior citizen over the murder by suspected herdsmen, denounced the ethic profiling, asking rhetorically whether Evans, a suspected kidnapper on trial, was a herdsman.
In a statement yesterday in Ibadan by its national president, Olalekan Hammed, YYSA said: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be told that herdsmen cannot be exonerated from the crime since the police preliminary report says Mrs. Funke Olakunrin was murdered by suspected herdsmen.
“Besides, Mr. Kehinde Fasoranti, one of the sons of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, had also been told by the police in Ore that the way they (attackers) operated was of same fashion with the herdsmen’s.
“Mr. Tinubu should not allow the desperation of 2023 restrain him from saying truth to authority.
“Someone like him is expected to be bold, courageous and brave enough to defend Yoruba nation without allowing himself to be blinded by political aspirations.”
The youths further held: “The recent open letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is timely and analytical.
“It is true that herdsmen /farmers crises and menace started with government treating the issue with kid gloves instead of hammer.
“Buhari should take to Obasanjo’s advice without wasting time because insecurity in Nigeria has already worsened.”
IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, also enjoined the Tinubu to apologise to the Yoruba nation for “misleading them into supporting an ethnic jingoist as president in the general election, as the growing climate of insecurity is the dividends from an inept administration.”
In a statement yesterday by the group’s Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Emma Powerful, Kanu reminded the powerful Lagos politician that “you cannot sacrifice the blood of your brethren on the shrine of your greed, conceit and unbridled 2023 presidential political ambition.”
He regretted that Tinubu’s utterances only succeeded in doing more harm to the Fasoranti family, by allegedly insulting the memory of their daughter which could be seen as an affront to the dignity of the Yoruba race.
The IPOB leader further accused the ex-governor of allowing “your self-centered avarice and ego to stifle the aspirations and destiny of your people,” even as he maintained that “your Fulani masters will never do for you what you are slavishly doing for them.”
However, a retired commissioner of police, Samuel Adetuyi, has faulted the measures put in place by the Federal Government to combat the prevalent security challenges in the land, stating: “they would not solve any problem.”
He was reacting to the comment by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during a condolence visit to the Fasorantis that government was reviewing the nation’s security architecture and deploying more police, army and aerial strategies to combat the menace.
Tinubu had also assured that the ongoing recruitment of 10,000 policemen would improve security nationwide.
But Adetuyi declared that the current police structure could not fight crime, adding that the plan to deploy security personnel in the bush was suicidal.
But Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege yesterday said the National Assembly was willing to provide legislative backing for the deployment of soldiers to tame the challenge as canvassed by Osinbajo.
He dropped the hint while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
Besides, Senator Rochas Okorocha has called on Nigerians to unite against insecurity, canvassing stronger community policing and vigilance groups.
The Imo ex-governor, in a statement by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, condoled with Chief Fasoranti over last weekend’s sad incident.
