Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the governor of Ondo State, expressed sadness for the role of some Ebira individuals in the attack on June 5 that killed over 40 parishioners at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.
Akeredolu encouraged the Ebira, a Kogi State-born ethnic community residing in the state, to eject perpetrators from their ranks after receiving the information.
Akeredolu expressed grave concerns about some Ebira people being involved in the June 5 killings at a meeting with their leaders yesterday in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.
Yesterday’s meeting with the governor was attended by the state’s top Ebira officials, including Alhaji Abdulazeez Majeobaje, the State Chairman of Ebira, and Zubair Dan Musa, the Odeyani Anabira.
Those held in connection with the June 5 attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo include Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, also known as Bin Malik, Momoh Otohu Abubakar, Aliyu Yusuf Itopa, and Auwal Ishaq Onimisi. They are all from the town of Ebira in the Kogi State. Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff, released this information to the public.
They have “lived together with the indigenes of the state for too long,” the governor said, urging the attendees not to leave the farming sector.
According to Akeredolu, the need for the meeting was brought on by the kidnapping instances in the state as well as the occurrence in Owo on June 5th.
To protect their reputation and integrity in the state, he advised the community’s leaders to “get rid of criminals and manage the problem in the best way.”
He said, “We called for this assembly of our brethren.” They are not new to this region, but the owo killing and kidnappings have recently brought them to the public’s notice.
“We have to introduce ourselves. I can assure you that we have had a very frank conversation with ourselves. The head of the Ebira in Ondo State spoke on behalf of the Ebira people and a small group of other people.
“We have confirmation from the Ebira people residing in Ondo State that they will work with the security forces and that they felt deeply sorry for the tragedy in Owo, therefore it is clear that the message we delivered to them was comprehended.
“Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, the leader of the Ebira worldwide, also sent me a letter in which he expressed his profound regret for what had happened and once more extended his sympathies.
“We have entrusted our brothers, the Ebira who are here, to speak to every person in their community in order to ensure that Ondo State is secure when we leave today in the hope that they will at the very least work to make sure that it is secure.
Since they made a commitment to doing so, we want to ask our people to at the very least maintain our kinship and the wonderful relationship we have with them now.
“We believe that those who came to commit this heinous act are not local residents. Given that they have admitted as much, we should give them another chance. Let’s live in harmony together.
Added he, “I sincerely hope and pray that the Ebira people living in Ondo State will work with the authorities and security forces in any capacity they deem appropriate to ensure that criminals are expelled from our community.
