Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, announced Wednesday that the Oodua People's Congress, or OPC, would not only use force to defend the South-West from invasion but would also defend other areas upon request.
Adams said the organisation is prepared for eventualities in the wake of increased insecurity and the lax attitude among stakeholders while speaking during the opening of the 4000 Dependable Security Team, a branch of the OPC, in Osogbo, Osun State.
He said: “The public is aware of the spate of insecurity across the country and the situation is becoming more pronounced in the southwest, hence, our decision to inaugurate 100 dependable security teams in Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in the state to prepare them for any eventuality.
“We have battled different types of crimes and we are also preparing for what is to come. The team will complement conventional security outfits to tackle insecurity. We have inaugurated the same team in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states. This is the fourth state and all of these efforts are geared towards tackling insecurity and attracting investors to the region and Nigeria at large.
“What we are doing here will be useful to the traditional institution of various communities. It will be useful to the security agencies in various communities and it will lead to the synergy between these departments and various security agencies in these communities. What we need most is that our environment should be free of crime and security threats should be reduced to a minimum level in the region and if other regions seek our help, we can extend it to all over the country.”
In his speech, Mr. Deji Aladesawe, the OPC Coordinator for Osun State, stated that the team will be gathering intelligence for other security agencies within the group to broaden the area of operations from taking reactive measures to proactive ones.