THE Federal Government may have instituted a covert probe of suspicions about certain religious activities capable of breeding religious tension in parts of the South West of the country.
Investigations by Nigerian Tribune confirmed at the weekend that the government was getting concerned about reports linking groups and personalities to extremist activities and religious tension.
It was gathered that two events that happened in Oyo State recently have triggered suspicions that extremist activities might be creeping into the South West zone, originally regarded as the bastion of religious harmony.
Sources close to the administration told the Nigerian Tribune that security agencies have been alerted to the suspicion that a rising wave of extremism was taking place in the South West Zone.
Sources said that a strict order has gone to the security agencies to nip the trend in the bud.
A source said that besides the threat of extremist groups and terrorists who have been trying to penetrate the zone through the Old Oyo National Park and the Kamoko Forest, which stretches from Kaduna, Niger and Kwara states and links the Oyo National Park, there are reports that some extremist groups are also moving to infiltrate the South West and spread religious hate.
It was learnt the security teams have interrogated a pro-Sharia group which threatened recently to launch Sharia Court in Oyo Town.
Sources said that in the last weeks of December 2024, security operatives questioned a number of persons said to be linked to the plan to launch Sharia in Oyo Town.
It was gathered that the Sharia proponents told the operative that their original intention was to establish a Sharia Panel to entertain civil matters like marriage, divorce, and inheritance, and because they also agreed that the trust of courts are constitutional matters.
It was also gathered that security agencies have apprehended a religious worshipper known as Ifagbemi for allegedly desecrating the Quran.
The said Ifagbemi, whose full name is given as John Olanrewaju Ifagbemi had made an offensive post on Facebook about the Quran and had also planned to do the same about the Holy Bible in an attempt to promote his brand of traditional religion.
A source who confirmed Ifagbemi’s arrest dismissed attempts by some users of Facebook to paint the arrest as an attack on Ifagbemi’s religion, saying that Ifagbemi’s actions which could trigger religious disharmony in the area have nothing to do with secularity.
“Hanging on secularism is faulty,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Fredrick Fasheun-led Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has urged all the six South-West governors to treat as security emergency the building of camps inside Yoruba forests by insurgents and terrorists fleeing from the North, promising to help security agencies deal with the menace without delay before it is too late.
It will be recalled that the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, during the 2025 annual inter-faith service which took place in Ibadan, raised the alarm that insurgents and terrorists fleeing from military bombardment in the North, were relocating to the state and other states in South-West and building camps in the forests there.
President of the sociocultural group, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi (alias Askari), in a statement, copy of which was made available to newsmen on Sunday, recalled that these foreign terrorists had always said that after conquering the North, the South would be next, adding: “Now, it is happening.”
Afolabi assured that OPC, under his leadership was ready to “let these evil dreamers know that Yorubaland can never be conquered or occupied by foreign invaders, urging the six governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states to extend their invite to the group “to deal with this menace today before it is too late.”
He assured that his group was adequately equipped physically, militantly, technologically and spiritually to confront these foreign invaders, saying that what OPC was “demanding from South-West governors is the necessary invitation, equipment and support to do what needs to be done to wipe out this menace of foreign criminals.”
“We have the men and capacity to confront these foreign invaders physically, militantly, technologically and spiritually. All we are demanding from South-West governors is the necessary invitation, equipment and support to do what needs to be done to wipe out this menace of foreign criminals,” he said.
The Yoruba socio-cultural group also called on President Bola Tinubu to collaborate with the six South-West governors to ensure that the threat of Boko Haram and other similar insurgents was quickly neutralised in the geo-political zone before it became too late.
“Enough is enough of paying lip service to the issue of tackling insecurity. Peace is the most important thing in any society. Without security and peace, no society can make progress. With the alarm sounded by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, all hands must be on deck to wipe out this existential threat to our collective welfare and send these evil people to hell or wherever they came from.
“The Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu must not play politics with this matter. Tinubu must lead from the front and mobilise the armed forces to align with Amotekun, OPC, vigilantes, hunters, Agbekoya and Sunday Igboho’s team to face this dangerous threat to our collective peace and existence.
“Let it be clear that although Yoruba people have nothing against the Nigerian Fulani, with whom we have enjoyed centuries of a cordial relationship, we will not concede an inch of our land to foreign elements masquerading as herdsmen whose pastime is to kidnap, rape, plunder and kill our people. OPC and the Yoruba race will never ever allow such a wicked agenda.
“For starters, the governors must insist that all herdsmen and foreigners should move out of the forests, games reserves, forest reserves and farm settlements in line with the 2021 order issued by the Late Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu. After that directive has been reissued, any group found camping in the forests will be regarded as terrorists and summarily dealt with accordingly. A word is enough for the wise,” Otunba Afolabi said.
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