Kunle Adelabu
The seven elected ward Councilors in lkorodu Local Government, led by the Council Leader, Hon. Issa Ayobami Salma representing Ward G (Agura/Gberigbe), last week, visited the headquarters of the Onyabo Vigilance Group to identify with the local security outfit.
The team, which also comprised of Hon. Adebowale Adebola (Deputy Leader) re[resenting Ward E, Hon. Omotayo Awolesi (Majority Leader) representing Ward C, Hon. Shokunbi Toheeb (Chief Whip) representing Ward F, Hon. Gbenga Awobajo (Member) Ward A, Hon. Olorunwa ‘Gino’ Oshodi (Member) Ward A and Hon. Banwo Alade Azeez (Member) representing Ward D, also gave financial support to the security team for its relentless efforts in keeping Ikorodu safe.
Speaking on behalf of others, the Majority Leader, Hon. Awolesi, commended the leadership of Onyabo Vigilance Group and members for their efforts in sanitizing Ikorodu and ridding the community of cultists and other criminal elements disturbing the social and economic lives of the community.
The Majority Leader, on behalf of the Councilors, also expressed displeasure at the attack on the Onyabo office on Tuesday night by some alleged cultists and again commended the intervention of the vigilance group in bringing the reign of terror unleashed on Ikorodu by cultists, to a halt.
“We, the leadership and members of the Ikorodu Local Government Legislative Arm, have resolved to visit the Onyabo Command to show our solidarity.
“We know your efforts and challenges and how you have tried to bring back peace to Ikorodu.
“We were disturbed when we heard that your office was attacked a few days back by these boys and we feel strongly that such should not be happening in our town”, the Majority Leader said.
He announced that the Councilors will also be supporting the Onyabo financially as their contributions towards the continuous operations of the command.
“We are also here as legislators to support the Command with a token. We were pleased that you finally intervened in dislodging those disturbing our town. We have been hearing responses from traders and other members of the town who are now back to continue going about their businesses after closing for days due to the unrest caused by the rampaging cultists”.
Hon. Adebowale, the Deputy Leader, also stated that they, as Legislators, can no longer fold their arms while the community is on fire.
“As representatives of the seven Wards that made up the Ikorodu Local Government, we can no longer fold our arms and behave as if nothing is happening. This is why we are here today to interface and support you.
“We know the work that Onyabo is doing and not even the police can perform such activities”.
Hon. Oshodi, the representative of Ward B, who stated that he is more convinced about the roles of the vigilance group, assured the Command that they will take further steps in ensuring that the Ikorodu Local Government as a whole lives up to its responsibilities in funding and supporting Onyabo.
The Council Leader, Hon. Salman, in his short remarks, stated that the local legislators will still do more to support Onyabo while he also corroborated his colleagues’ statements by commending the security outfit for its effective security work in Ikorodu.
He too assured Onyabo of more support from the council.
Akogun Lanre Olabinjo, who met with the team of Councilors in company of the Command’s Secretary, Comrade Olalekan Pelumi, thanked the lawmakers for deeming it necessary to visit and identify with the vigilance group.
He assured the Councilors of Onyabo’s commitments in safeguarding lives and properties in Ikorodu.
After narrating how the council had been neglecting the vigilance group (as reported in THE IMPACT report on the exchange of words between the Onyabo leader and the Council Chairman over the insecurity in lkorodu) and made it to fend for itself, Akogun Olabinjo charged the visiting Councilors to play their roles in the matter and make such to be registered in history.
While reiterating his earlier position that the Ikorodu Local Government has neglected Onyabo, Akogun Labinjo said:
“It is high time our Councilors live up to their expectations irrespective of whether the council chairman is ready or not, because history will positively record your actions or otherwise. I commend you for your visit.
“I refused to take Adeshina’s call when he called me when those boys took over the town with AK 47 and Kalamashinov guns because I cannot make myself and my boys to be sacrificed when he was enjoying in his office while we that are have been serving Ikorodu for almost 18 years with our lives, are been neglected.
“I have been the one responsible for the daily upkeep of our boys. I usually give ten of them N15, 000 daily and if you multiply that with the number of our members that are really working for the community, you will see that we spend a fortune. We cannot go back on our determination to sanitise our community, the reason is simple, we are already into it and we cannot step back.
“I have been attacked with guns more than twelve times and if I dare run back, what do you think will happen to me and my boys? That is why we resolved not to go back.
“We are only concerned about the security of our town but some people are living large on our own efforts. We are operating with one vehicle and the same vehicle is at the mechanic workshop as we speak and I have paid N180, 000 for its repair”.
Olabinjo also told the visiting Councilors that the Adeshina administration of Ikorodu Local government is defaulting in the payment of N200, 000 monthly pledge for the running of the vigilance group.
“Some of you were there when the issue was resolved and the chairman agreed to pay N200, 000 monthly. That payment is not regular. It is very easy to find out what they have paid so far. This is the person (pointing to one of his boys) that usually goes to pick the cheque and you can easily find out when they started paying and how many payments they have made so far.
“It was when he stopped paying that we had challenges which caused what we have been witnessing. At times, it used to be very challenging to get the money from the council”, he said.
He also denied operating alone and stated that he usually notified necessary police authorities on every operation of the group, adding that his command always handover arrests made.
He, however, frowned at a situation where police always release arrested suspected cultists and other criminals whom , according to him, usually return back more dangerous deadly, and added that such cannot help in building the confidence of the group.
He cited an instance on how his effort in calling the OC SARS, Area Commander, DPOs in Ikorodu led to the arrest of one of the suspected Eiye cult members and others that killed a young man in a video that went viral.
The Onyabo Deputy Commander also stated that he has spent over N400, 000 between December 2020 when his boys were attacked by robbers and now, in providing effective traditional ways of protecting them, adding that their operations in the community involves several sacrifices and rituals.
He established to the Councilors that it was at a meeting with the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Shotobi, that the Council Chairman agreed to be paying the Onyabo Command N300, 000 monthly while the royal father himself pledged N100, 000.
“I think enough is enough for somebody to be playing a game with Ikorodu and be living large on it. We must be given our dues so that we can effectively work in protecting the community”.
Akogun Labinjo stated that the major problem facing Ikorodu is the failure of its leadership and stakeholders to stand against the activities of Ajagungbales whom he accused of recruiting young men into cult groups and also arming them.
“Our problem in Ikorodu is that our leaders are shying away from their responsibilities. Our leaders are ever ready to collect money from the state and share appointments but it’s always another story when it comes to community matters.
“I once said at a meeting that our leader at Solomade is not doing anything concerning what we are facing in Ikorodu but may be when one of his family members is shot by these boys, he will show concern but the person in question cautioned me that I should not say that again.
“They can call on the council chairmen to provide us with support and also engage the state government to safe Ikorodu from all these problems” he said.
“There is need to call all the six chairmen in lkorodu division to contribute towards ridding the division of these Ajagungbales and cultists. If they can make two motorcycles each available (totaling twelve) that will go a long way to aid our operations.
“It was S.O.B. (Hon. SOB Agunbiade) that gave us five motorcycles, jackets and other support about five years ago.
“It was during the administration of late Alhaji Sherif Anipole that we were given a patrol vehicle and he was given us monthly financial support and was also ready to act whenever he was called upon for any emergency. That was how we were able to curtail those boys then”.
He added that there has been no other support for the Command except the one from the Ayangbure of Ikorodu.
Reiterating his statements to the Councilors, Akogun Olabinjo also informed his guests that some Council Chairmen and Ajagungbales in Ikorodu are the ones financing and supporting cultism.
He also added that arresting cultists will be meaningless if their sponsors are not arrested.
“It will be a waste of time if we keep arresting one million Eiye and Ake boys daily without arresting their godfathers. It will amount to fooling ourselves. Once land agents (Ajagungbales) are still being allowed to operate, some jobless youths will still be offering themselves for their services”.
He assured the Councilors that the cultists disturbing Ikorodu can be flushed out from their bases in Emuren, Maya, Adamo, Agunfoye, Macaulay, Ogijo, Imota and other places if only the community and its leadership and stakeholders are ready for the task.
Akogun Olabinjo, who stated during the visit of the Councilors that he once offered ways out of the problems to the government, also called for a joint task force used in dealing with the menace during the Ambode’s administration.
He also called for the establishment of a mobile court for the quick trial of cult suspects and easy dispensation of justice.
“We have all these in place, I can assure that those disturbing our peace will be taken care of and after that, we will face the young initiates that are ready and willing to change”, he said.
“I once suggested to the government that Councils should make available three hectares of land to accommodate these boys and engage them in fish and other farming businesses. They are to be trained for six months on the same field and the council must be ready to create markets for the sales of their produce.
“Councils must be prepared to accept the produce from them and pay them money. It is the government that will take these produce to the markets for sales and even export them.
“Through this, they can feed themselves, take care of their families and friends and use the proceeds for further investment in the farming business with close monitoring”.
