.as he celebrates Ajagunmale Festival 2025 with Lekki residents
By Our Reporter
Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has appealed to Governors in Southwest states to rise up to the group's warning about insecurity spreading towards the region by setting up a Community Security Network to avert impeding crisis.
Iba Adams made the call on Tuesday, while peaking at the Ajagunmale Festival 2025, held at the Lekki Guest House in Lekki LCDA, Lagos, saying that the call became imperative in view of the current security challenges facing the country, where bandits and terrorists had taken over most of the forests and communities especially in some parts of the Northern region.
"It is time we prepare and have our own community security network aside from the Federal Government security architecture. This is the only way to ensure that the heritage left for us by our forebears is not destroyed by these terrorists trying to invade Yorubaland," he said.
The Yoruba generalissimo, in particular, suggested that with the support of the state governments in each Southwest state, all local government chairmen and chairpersons, traditional rulers and council of chiefs, should, as a matter of urgency, set up community security apparatus that would employ about 300 security personnel to secure each local government.
Adams said the apparatus, which could be called this apparatus Community Security Network, was being suggested based on the security threats in the region and the wind of war that is blowing from the Middle Belt, urging that the Southwest region should prepare for any eventuality, first on the basis of community guards.
He further suggested that the local government chairmen should be encouraged to employ these personnel and pay them at least N50,000 each monthly, "especially now that all local governments are getting ample financial resources.
"Today, there is no local government that gets less than N450million from the federal government allocation. So, paying a minimum of N50,000 per personnel employed would translate to about N15million.
"To effectively equip and run this Community Security Network, and employ about 20 retired security officers that would coordinate their activities, the chairmen would not spend more than about N40million monthly on security.
"Once they have set up the security network, they should be equipped very well in accordance with the laws of the country.
"With this action, Yorubaland can start the beginning of securing their territory for their people. In the process, they can later call for security consultants who will train them for intelligence gathering.
"It is time we prepare and have our own community security network aside from the Federal Government security architecture. This is the only way to ensure that the heritage left for us by our forebears is not destroyed by these terrorists trying to invade Yorubaland," he stated.
"Specifically, we should be more vigilant in Lagos State, Ondo State, Oyo State and Ekiti State. These are the specific locations that the terrorists want to start the attack in Yorubaland.
"Yesterday, I got intelligence report about these criminals indicating that they are coming through Idoani in Ondo State and through Iyamoye forest in Ekiti State.
"Besides, I must call our attention to the fact that the Nigeria security agencies and architecture have been infiltrated by the terrorists and cannot be trusted with saving us or winning this battle. So, we must embrace the assistance of the external forces that wants to support our country in fighting this battle.
"The security challenge at hand is beyond religion. It is a tripartite combination of religious, ethnic and economic challenge. While it has the element of religious genocide, it has the element of ethnic cleansing and at the same time, economic sabotage.
"I call on traditional rulers to start holding security meetings weekly with every stakeholder within their domain to appraise the security development in their communities and neighbouring communities.
"At this critical point, all hands must be on deck to ensure that our country is not turned into counties like Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the likes that are being ravaged by internal security issues and wars," he added.
The Yoruba generalissimo appealed to Muslim brothers and sisters in Yorubaland not to see the terrorists activities as a Muslim cause or capable of bringing progress to the religion, declaring pointedly that the agenda of these terrorists was beyond religion.
According to him, their agenda is to exterminate people from their lands, take over their lands and mineral resources in those lands and ultimately "take over our country and usurp our resources," noting that a good Muslim will not be destroying lives and properties in the name of religion.
"Finally, I want to appeal to our Muslim brothers and sisters in Yorubaland not to see the terrorists activities as a Muslim cause or capable of bringing progress to the religion. A good Muslim will not be destroying lives and properties in the name of religion.
"The agenda of these terrorists is beyond religion: their agenda is to exterminate people from their lands, take over their lands and mineral resources in those lands. Their agenda is to take over our country and usurp our resources," Iba Adams said.
Speaking on the day's event, the Yoruba generalissimo said gathering was primarily to promote Yoruba culture and tradition, and ultimately salvage her heritage from going into extinction, adding that the other key reason was to reveal who Ajagunmale is?
According to the Yoruba generalissimo,
Ajagunmale is the priest of praise in heaven, describing him as the praise singer at the centre of praise singing in heaven and "mostly referred to as the 'Oluwo Ode Orun."
"His job is to praise and eulogise the most high God on daily basis for several hours.
"Whatever happens in heaven, Ajagunmale uses praise to open the doors of Heaven and sets the pace for expression of happiness through praise.
"He symbolizes praise and humility. Ajagunmale remains the same in heaven and on earth.
"So, as we celebrate Ajagunmale today, we celebrate the priest of praise. God usually blesses whoever that praises Him.
"That is why we have made up our minds long time ago to promote the Yoruba cultural identity," Iba Adams said.
In his address, the Onilekki of Lekki land, Oba Olumuyiwa Ogunbekun, said that the the issue of insecurity, should not be left to the government alone, urging Nigerians to be vigilant.
"For this to have reached Kwara, it has reached Ekiti, and that is Southwest already. So it is important we as a matter of urgency, act accordingly because it is when there is security of lives and property, that we can have peace and go about our business activities," the monarch said.
Oba Ogunbekun, while praying for more celebrations of the day's event, thanked all those in attendance, including the royal fathers, just as he applauded the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Adams and group led by him in their continued efforts to celebrate Yoruba culture and traditions and ensure that they do not go into extinction.
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