…call on Oyebanji, Police to strengthen security force
By Rotimi Idris, Adebayo Adenrele
The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have condemned the recent herders’ attacks in Ekiti and other southwestern states, calling on state governors and security agencies to rise up to the challenge.
The religious leaders also decried the recent kidnapping and robbery cases across the Yorubaland, describing them as threats to lives of indigenes.
This was contained in a communique released at the end of province maiden meeting for 2025 tagged: “Keeping our focus on hope, justice and peace”, held at Jubilee Coference Center (JCC), Ibadan and signed by its chairman and secretary, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin and Most Rev John Oyejola, respectively.
The bishops also advocated efficient intelligence gathering, good remunerations and equipping the security personnel to enable them perform their duties and protect lives and property.
The communique read in part, “As leaders of the Church in Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, we commend our political leaders for managing the security situation in this land reasonably well for the last few years, makingthe hope of the people in a better future to grow.
“This proves the dictum that when there is life, there is hope. Citizens have to be alive to work for better times. Our leaders, however, cannotrest on their oars. We must denounce the threat posed more recently by the resurgence of the menace of herdsmen attacks, kidnappings, robberies and other crimes in parts of Yorubaland.
“We appeal to governors and security agencies in the Southwestern States to rise up to the challenge posed by these threats in order to maintain the relative peace and security of recent years.
“Efficient intelligence gathering, good remunerations and equipping of our securityoutfits and a determination to prosecute crime without favour, are all necessary for the provision of security of life and property and must be pursued with single mindedness”.
The religious leaders also urged government at all levels to invest more in agriculture, by facilitating the youth to boost provision of food in a sustainable manner through improved security and put strategies in place to reduce the escalated cost of food across the country.
“While commending some cheering strides made by some governments to promote agriculture, we urge the government at all levels to invest more in agriculture, facilitate the involvement of the youth in it and boost provision of food in a sustainable manner through improved security and put strategies in place to reduce the escalated cost of food all over Nigeria.
“A country that cannot feed its citizens is not worth itssovereignty. This is even more true of Nigeria which is well endowed with all the necessaryingredients for food sufficiency. Without food for the population, hope is difficult to instill andproductivity is diminished because a hungry people is a restive people.
“We enjoin government to engage with experts and creative, social engineers to reduce the rate of hunger in society asan added means of strengthening the hope of our citizens.
“It is difficult to sustain hope on hungry stomachs. In this light, we state here that there is the urgent need for Price and Monetary Stability.
“Let us note that Price Stability in any economy means that the general price level in an economy doesnot change over time. Thus, prices of goods need to be sincerely monitored to avoidindiscriminate fixing and increase of priced of goods”. It added