Kunle Adelabu
The Ikorodu Division Security Summit, being proposed by the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement (IDYIM) in collaboration with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ikorodu chapter, is set to hold later this month with the backing of the traditional institutions, elected representatives and other stakeholders in the division.
The Permanent Chairman, Ikorodu Division Council of Obas & Chiefs and the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, gave his approval for the summit on Thursday, February 6, 2020, during a courtesy visit to his palace by the two groups.
While Comrade Samson Bisiriyu, the Executive Director and member of the IDYIM Board of Trustees (BOT) led the IDYIM team which included Comrade Comfort Olafara, Project Director, IDYIM Directorate of Community Service and Comrade, Deputy Director of Administration, IDYIM, Mrs Gloria Cassius, Vice Chairman, Ikorodu NBA chapter, led the NBA team which included Mrs Adero Fadahunsi, Chairperson, Anti-Cultism Committee, NBA, Ikorodu, and Mr Segun Sojirin, Chairman, Police/Other Law Enforcement Relation Committee, NBA, Ikorodu.
The monarch also assured the proponents of the summit of the support and participation of other Obas in the division as well as traditional institutions.
Also according to the organisers, the three elected representatives in the Division – Hon. Babajimi Benson, member of the Federal House of Representatives representing the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ikorodu Constituency I and Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, member, Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ikorodu Constituency II, have all given their support and approval.
It was also gathered that the Special Adviser on Agriculture to the Governor of Lagos State, Ms Bisola Ruth Olusanya, has also given her support for the summit which aims to address youths’ restiveness as well as gang war in the division.
Meanwhile, Oba Shotobi, while given his blessing to the proposed summit during the visit by IDYM and Ikorodu NBA chapter, stated that, “We can only get it right if we do it together. We are in the same boat and no one should do anything to rock it”.
The royal father, who stated that he might be out of the country when the summit would be held, assured the organisers of the support of the Council of Obas and Chiefs in the Division.
“I might not be in the country on the day the summit is scheduled to hold but I assure that you that all the Obas in the division are working in unity and they will be available to give necessary royal presence and support. We work as one for the progress of the division”, Oba Shotobi emphasised.
Speaking further during the visit, the monarch wondered why the youths in the division is engaging in ceaseless killings despite all efforts to bring them to the right paths.
“What is our problem? What are we all looking for? What is causing all these problems?”, the royal father asked.
“Our youths need morals from home. I still know the moral lessons we received at home and in our various schools then. We got it wrong in the 80s because all that we seeing are now were not there before 80s. There was parent and community guidance which we took with us anywhere we go.
Oba Shotobi also narrated how the palace made efforts in getting some of the suspected cultists arrested but were later released.
While stating that the judges and Magistrates cannot be blamed for the quick release of the suspects being brought before them, Kabiyesi said that judges can only adjudicate on what the police and lawyers that are prosecuting the suspects brought before them.
He also recounted efforts made two years ago towards making suspected cultists in Ikorodu denounce their membership and embrace peace at an event attended by the former Commissioner for Police in state while he also frowned at the failure to empowered them as agreed at the gathering.
“Two years ago, we made effort to talk to these boys and we spent some money to gathered them together and brought them to this palace in an attempt to denounce their membership of the cult groups.
“The three cult groups present at the event made a lot of open commitment, pledges and also surrendered some weapons. And when we asked them what they want, they said that they should be empowered”, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu stated.
He then called for impactful empowerment programmes that would rehabilitate the youths and made them jettison their nefarious engagements.
Oba Shotobi also alleged that the failure of the Federal Government to accept Community Policing is the primary cause of insecurity in the country
While commending the Ikorodu NBA chapter for collaborating with IDYIM to address security issues in Ikorodu division, he enjoined the lawyers in Ikorodu to continue to support the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Honourable Justice Kazeem Alogba, who is also from Ikorodu.
“Thank you for this initiative of collaborating with lkorodu youths. NBA will continue to remain my friend.
“You know that the Honorable Chief Judge of Lagos is from this division, I enjoin you all to stand by him and give him necessary support to succeed in office” , Oba Shotobi appealed.
“In this palace, we stand for justice. We believe that we are all equal before God and we shall always support good cause. That’s why we are always partnering with the NBA and give kudos to the Ikorodu branch for their initiatives and actions
Oba Shotobi also blamed the failure of parents and families of victims of cult clashes to complain against the assailants as reason the menace persists.
“If you kill anybody unlawfully, people will come out that they have killed their family, but the reverse is the case in this case. Are those being killed are without mothers and fathers since nobody has been coming out to lodge complaint against the assailants regarding the killings to the police?, Oba Shotobi asked rhetorically.
“The statement that ‘ara won lo n pa’ (the cultists are only killing themselves) is not good for us in Ikorodu”.
Barrister Adero Fadahunsi, Chairperson of the NBA Anti-Cultism Committee, speaking earlier, stated that the NBA in Ikorodu is partnering with the youths in Ikorodu in their effort to bring lasting peace to the community.
While stating that the group is visiting the palace to seek support for the Security Summit scheduled to hold later this month, she also informed Oba Shotobi that they had met with political representatives from Ikorodu division and that they have pledged their supports for the event.
“We are here to inform and seek your royal support for the Security Summit coming up later this month. We have two dates and we are presenting the two before your royal majesty to pick one that is convenient”, she stated.
“We had met with Hon. Babajimi Benson who is representing Ikorodu at the Federal House of Representatives along with the Director-General of his iCare group, Mayor Deen Sanwoola, on the summit. We have also met with Hon. SOB Agunbiade and Hon. Nurudeen Solaja too.
“It is heartwarming to inform you sir that they have all pledged their supports for the Security Summit”, she stated.
Comrade Samsom Bisiriyu, the Executive Director of IDYM,while also addressing the royal father, stated that three major factors have been identified as the primary cause of cultism.
“At the last Youth Summit, we were able to identify that upbringing, family background and level of education as major factors that are promoting youth restiveness and cultism in Ikorodu.
“Sir, we also discovered that most of these guys that are disturbing the peace in Ikorodu are ex-convicts and those that had been remanded in prison. They engage in these killings and other criminal acts once they are back in the society to announce their returns”.
He called for the establishment of a Correctional Centre with training facilities in Ikorodu to address the issue of cultists turning to hardened criminals when return from prison.
While identifying the lack of effective collaboration between the police and various security agencies, lawyers and the court as another factor responsible for the inability to properly prosecute suspected cultists, he challenged the state judicial system to evolve an effective means of prosecution.
“After looking at all these problems and its effects on the social and economic lives of Ikorodu, we decided to come together as youths in the division to assist the community.
“We have been able to empowered about 200 Ikorodu youths across the division with the assistance of some of our people in government and others”, he revealed.
Comrade Bisiriyu stated that IDYIM, which is now the registered and official umbrella body of all youths in Ikorodu Division, is concerned about the rate at which youths are killing themselves, hence its decision to organize the security summit to address the issue.
“We have decided to have a summit to address our security challenges but we cannot do that without the support of the royal fathers in the division. That’s why we are here today to inform the palace of our plans and seek for the royal support for the summit aimed at ensuring that peace reigns in Ikorodu”, Samson stated.
“We observe that the major actors in cult activities in Ikorodu Division are youths who are between the ages of 14 and 25 years. 70% of them are indigenes, while 30% are non-indigenes.
“We have also discovered that 60% of their kingpins are indigenes”, he added.
According to the report gathered, reprisal attacks by rivalry cult groups have led to the gruesome murder of about 50 people (mostly youths) across Ikorodu division this year with Airlord (Eiye) and Axe (Ake) and KKK Confraternities allegedly responsible for most of the deadly attacks.
Last week, two people were allegedly killed in Ikorodu by suspected cultists. One of the slain persons, who was brutally murdered on Borokinni Street at Gbasemo, Aga in Ikorodu, was alleged to be a cult member while various accounts by eyewitnesses claimed that the other one did not belong to any of the cult groups.
About two weeks ago, eight suspected cultists were killed in Ijede Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu division.
There have also been several killings at Bayeku in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and other parts of the division in the last few weeks.
Birthday presents were presented to Oba Shotobi who added another year on Wednesday, January 5, by the two groups. They also offered special prayer for the monarch.
