The Oodua Peoples Congress on Friday said it would oppose the influx of members of Boko Haram into the South-West even as it lauded the arrest of the sect’s 42 suspected members in Lagos and Ogun states by the Nigerian Army.
The group, while declaring the South-West zone as a no-go area to the sect, described the arrest as a welcome development.
Speaking with our correspondent, the OPC Coordinator, Mr. Gani Adams, said the group would not fold its arms and allow the peace in the region to be disturbed.
He said, “The arrest of 42 members of Boko Haram in the South West is a welcome development. We will however use everything at our disposal to resist the entry of Boko Haram members into the S’West.
“This is because we know that we have a big role to play in the security of lives and property of our people.
“We will cooperate with all the security operatives to ensure peace in the S’West. We will not allow peace to elude the region and Nigeria as a whole.
“The Yoruba have different ways of fighting; both physically and spiritually. During the June 12 crisis, we did not dispense a single bullet yet we achieved our aim by restoring democracy.”
While stating that the Yoruba detest violence, he added that the race would however do anything to keep peace in their domain.
“Yorubas do not like violence. If a violent person resides in their midst, they will find a way to expel him rather than compromise peaceful co-existence. As a Yoruba group, we don’t want collateral damage in our region and Nigeria as a whole as a result of insurgency of any kind,” Adams said.
The OPC leader, who advised people in the zone to be security conscious, urged them to report any strange gathering of questionable persons to the appropriate authorities.
He also said it was necessary to carry out background checks on unknown persons before employing them as security men.
“God is the only one that can adequately secure anybody. But it is also essential to take your security seriously by not engaging in actions that will cause you grave damage,” he added.
