CROYN said it raised the alarm to further warn people in South-West, who, yesterday, marked 10 months of terrorists’ attack on Owo Catholic Church in Ondo State in which 41 people were massacred, just as the church held its first service after the attack.
It also stressed that the region could no longer afford another dastardly massacre and that the only way to prevent such is for all residents in the region to be at alert and not allow themselves to be deceived by claims of some leaders that they only meant to use the deadly group to protect Igbo’ businesses in Lagos.
The group, in a statement by its National President, Abiodun Fanoro and General Secretary, Tunde Aiyenumelo, said its position was reinforced by a directive from Norway-based second-in-command of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, to Igbo in Lagos to shut down their shops on Mondays, as was the case in the South-East, which was often enforced by unknown gunmen through killings, a situation that would not be different if allowed in Lagos and in the South-West.
The civil society group, which warned authorities in Lagos State and Yoruba leaders not to take with levity the alleged plan to unleash terror on the state, however, commended the Lagos State Police Command for its quick detection of the plot and prompt arrest of the suspected ring-leader, Fredrick Nwajagu.
It further urged the police to fish out others collaborating with the Igbo leader that were likely spread across the state.
The group said that while it trusted the capacity of the police to counter the plots, it, however, charged South-West leaders in general to note that all indices that served as catalyst and aided terrorists’ attack in Owo were readily in place, especially the pervasive kinsmen who could provide information and logistics that could give away targets, as done by Fulani herders scattered all around Owo forests who gave the attackers useful information and logistics before and after the attack.
According to the group, one of the ways to prevent the actualisation of the plot is for all Yoruba leaders to be watchful, intensify local and community security as well as a diligent screening of non-indigenes seeking to come into their facilities as tenants so as not to house warlords under their roof.
