By Ayodele Oni
Piqued by spate of insecurity, a Pan-Yoruba group, Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation (YKLTF), has dragged the governors Southwest States to a Federal High Court.
The suit filed at the Ibadan division of the Federal High Court is marked: FHC/IB/CS/189/22.
Also joined in the suit are governors of Kwara, Kogi and Edo states, because their states have substantial Yoruba speaking population.
In the suit filed by the group’s lawyer, Mr Tayo Douglas, plaintiffs said that they resolved to take the legal path due to the seeming lackadaisical attitude of the governors towards the plight of the citizens in their respective states as regards security.
The plaintiffs; are Otunba Ayodeji Osibogun, Prof. Bisi Sowunmi, Chief (Mrs) Ronke Okusanya, Senator Olatokunbo Ogunbanjo and Mr. Olakunle Osuntokun.
They sued on behalf of themselves and the registered trustees of the Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation.
They specifically asked the court for an “Order compelling the Defendants to take all lawful and legal means necessary to protect the lives, dignities, personal liberties as well as the freedom of the people of the respective community from any acts of discrimination, dominion and oppression by the local and foreign marauding herders, bandits and kidnappers, who continue to terrorise, rape, maim, kill and kidnap the people of the said community daily without any inhibition.
Besides they asked for another “order compelling the defendants to take every lawful and legal means necessary to protect their respective communities and their farm lands from the encroachment and invasion of both local and foreign herders.
The defendants are the governors and attorneys-general of the Southwest states as well as Edo, Kogi and Kwara states.
In a 17 paragraph affidavit in support of the suit, the group averred that the 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.
Deponent of the affidavit, Otunba Osibogun, 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.
He claimed that a visit to various farming communities in Yoruba land at personal risks to interview and interact with the farmers and other inhabitants, revealed 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.
“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.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
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