TheNewsGuru

Tag: Ebira people

  • Ebira ban festivals in Ondo State over security fears

    Ebira ban festivals in Ondo State over security fears

    The Ebira people living in Ondo State have announced the ban of all traditional festivals in their communities in Ondo state to avert anything that create security concerns.

    One of the leaders of Ebira Communities in Ondo State, Abiodun Umoru stated this in Akure, the state capital on Monday, saying his people are ready to join hands with the security agencies to fight insecurity.

    The communities also urged the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to establish the Amotekun posts in various communities where the Ebira people reside across the state, and enlist their indigenes in the state security network agency to assist in the fight against the criminal elements.

    Umoru, who expressed displeasure over the mention of one Idris Ojo, who was an escapee from Kuje prison as one of those arrested for carrying out the massacre in Owo on June 5, 2022, a month after, said some steps had been taken to ensure that criminals were flushed out of Ebira community.

    Also Read

    Insecurity: The spate of kidnappings, attacks in Ondo state

    According to him, one of such steps was banning traditional festivals in Ebira communities in the state; saying anybody who wanted to hide under traditional festivals to perpetrate evil in the state would be handed over to the security agents.

    Speaking in Akure, the state capital on behalf of the Ebira people from Kogi State living in Ondo State, one of the leaders of the communities,

    He said, “We can no longer fold our arms while some of our kinsmen will be acting against our cherished cultural norms and values.

    “We have warned and educated our women who sell food items at strategic locations on the major roads of the dangers of hobnobbing with suspected criminals by volunteering information to them.

    “We use this medium to appreciate the present administration for its tireless efforts at reducing the rate of criminality across the state. We pledge not to relent in our commitment to continue to contribute our quota to the socio-economic and political development of the sunshine state.”

  • Catholic Church attack: Ondo Governor, Akeredolu speaks on true identity of attackers

    Catholic Church attack: Ondo Governor, Akeredolu speaks on true identity of attackers

    Ondo state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has made some clarifications on the Owo Catholic Church attack purportedly perpetrated by Ebira people.

    Akeredolu had informed newsmen during a question and answer session in the state  that the attackers were Ebira people of Kogi state

    Meanwhile, granting interview questions on a political program, politics today on Channels Television  Wednesday night, he insisted that some Ebiras were involved in the attack but pointed out that the attackers might not all be Ebiras.

    He, however, said that his reference to Ebira was about recent incidents in the State not the Owo attack, and at the same time refused to rule out the involvement of the Ebiras in the June 5 attack.

    “I don’t want to be emphatic on that point because what I said is being mixed up now,” he said.

    “I addressed issues on what I’ll call the attackers who came to Owo…the terrorists who came to Owo on June 5 and at the same time, I went ahead to address about kidnap incidents that we’ve had of recent and I said that probably the Ebira people were involved in this.

    “And I said we’re gonna call a meeting between the Ebira community in Ondo State because we’ve lived together for too long for these incidents to begin to happen. That was a separate thing.

    “But, it is clear that from what we have, the terror gang in Okene were involved in the incident of June 5.

    “What do we make of that? Are they all Ebiras? That’s for us to find out. Their names will not bring us to a [reasonable] conclusion because as you can see, a number of them have two names…and the Department of State Services is still working on this.

    “For me, I know that there’s a terror gang in Okene and everybody knows that. They strike across the country…they strike in Kogi, Ekiti, and Ondo States,” he added.

    Recall that the Defence Headquarters said they have arrested the attackers of the St Francis Catholic church in Owo Ondo state .

    Giving an update on the Owo Church attack, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor said they were unable to parade the suspects yesterday because investigations were still ongoing.

    Narrating how the terrorists were fished out, he said, “I want to tell you that we have arrested the attackers of Owo Church. We were to parade them today for you to be but investigations are still ongoing.