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Group sues Southwest, Edo, Kogi governors over kidnapping, banditry, terrorism

A Pan-Yoruba group, Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation (YKLTF), has dragged the governors of Southwest states to court over the state of insecurity of the inhabitants of the region.

The group also joined Kwara, Kogi and Edo states, with substantial Yoruba speaking people in the suit.

The group’s President, Otunba Giwa Deji Osibogun and Director of Media and Publicity, Amb. Demola Sanyaolu said they resolved to take the legal path due to the seeming lackadaisical attitude of the governors towards the plight of the citizens in their states in the area of security.

The plaintiffs in the suit, IB/CS/189/22 filed before the Federal High Court Ibadan Judicial Division, included Otunba Ayodeji Osibogun, Prof. Bisi Sowunmi, Chief (Mrs.) Ronke Okusanya, Senator Olatokunbo Ogunbanjo and Mr. Olakunle Osuntokun as the registered trustees of the Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation;

The defendants are the governors and attorneys-general of the Southwest states as well as Edo, Kogi and Kwara states.

The plaintiffs, in the suit Yoruba people are being subjected to incessant kidnapping, armed robberies, terrorism, banditry by both local and foreign invaders.

They noted that the suit is in line with the constitution of Nigeria and in the interest of the people of the Yoruba ethnic group with absolute rights as provided under the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights to protect themselves and their means of livelihood from destruction by the foreign/local herders and bandits.

The plaintiffs also noted that of recent, road travelling through the states inhabited by the Yoruba people in Edo, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo have become dangerous owing to the incessant kidnapping, banditry and robbery being carried out by the foreign/local herders and bandits along the highways unchallenged.

In addition, the trustees, having visited various farming communities in Yoruba land at personal risks to interview and interact with the farmers and other inhabitants, discovered that the farmers can no longer go to their farms for fear of being killed or Kidnapped by the foreign/local herders and life generally have become very hard, nasty and frustrating to them.

Osibogun said: “It will be recalled that in the past, we made attempt by writing letters and sending emissaries to the governors which have not yielded results. We have decided to pursue the legal step to at least ask them to come to the aid of the citizens.”

The organization believes that this path will compel the governors to act promptly and in good faith for the betterment of the masses in their care.

The plaintiffs, in the suit, requests for the following;

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