Oriire abduction: ‘Our wives, children hungry at home, we’ve left Old Oyo National Park

Image caption: A Yoruba hunter (credit: Google)

Oriire abduction: ‘Our wives, children hungry at home, we’ve left Old Oyo National Park – Hunters

Khalid ABRAHAM

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Some operatives belonging to unconventional security outfits working day and night to prevent the escape of the bandits holding victims of abduction of Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota, have said they had left the Old Oyo National Park in order to attend to domestic issues.

“Yes, some of us not on government’s payroll had to leave since we have families to take care of at home. Our wives and children and other dependents are hungry because we aren’t able to attend to our private works. We didn’t want to leave the frontline but we have domestic responsibilities to perform too,” one of the traditional hunters from Ogbomoso South, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, told ogbomosoinsightonline.com.

He confirmed the criminals had been trapped but “We had no order to engage them, hence, it’s a stalemate by the time some of us left the forest, the bandits and their victims remain in their encampment.”

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He informed government or whoever, didn’t cater for them maybe in terms of stipend or allowance, asserting, “We only went there in the first place out of passion and as a call to duty that how can such menacing threat fall on us but we are not recognized. How can something like that occurred and we as traditional hunters will not make ourselves available to combat the evil but there is a limit to what we can do, and how far we can go, overnment now dictates the tune and they do hypocritically. But Amotekun operatives and other conventional security operatives are on ground.”

He said the situation looked dicey but was confident that if order is given, “We can engage and dislodge the criminals and rescue the abductees with minimal risk to them. There are still traditional powers possessed by hunters and other powerful people that will make us invisible to the bandits to rescue the victims, but regrettably, government prefers the hard way, which has yielded little since over three weeks ago. Iba fun awon Baba wa (homage to our forefathers), who did not leave us without means of solving such problems. But government likes to live or operate in denial.”

Also, a leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), who also didn’t want his name mentioned said, “If you are not consulted and you venture out you are courting trouble.”

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This is as he said, “Many people ask us why we have not taken action to help in rescuing the victims but we do tell them that we are not invited by the authorities. And in such a situation we have to sit it out. But it is a simple thing. Few years ago, when OPC members arrested Wakilu (a notorious Fulani criminal in Igangan in Ibarapa zone), and we handed him over to the police, three of our members were jailed for weeks by the Police. It took Aare Gani Adams a travel down to Ibadan before they were released. So, how can we just venture out without being invited? Even in the olden days, when wars were declared the warriors were given provisions and their families well taken care of while they were in the warfront.

“In addition, look at politicians and other wealthy individuals, they regularly distribute motorcycles and vehicles free but how many of them remember local security agencies? But when there is a problem, everybody beckons on us. These are things people don’t understand.”