President-General of Agbekoya, Aare Kamorudeen Okikiola Aremu.

By Richard Elesho

The Agbekoya Hunters and Farmers Society, a foremost professional group of farmers and hunters in the southwest region of Nigeria created in 1939, has given reasons why its members may join in the agitations for the creation of a Yoruba Republic.

The group decried the level of insecurity in the country which it claimed are fueled by outsiders and said only a timely restoration of peace and security by government can prevent its members from joining in the call for secession.

The conditions were given by the National Secretary of Agbekoya, Prince Adegbenro Ogunlana, in a chat with Daily Sun newspaper.

He said the recent ban of open grazing by southern governors, is s good step in the right direction if the pronouncement of governors was not a political statement to douse the heat of agitation for secession.

Ogunlana stated that now the southern governors have made the pronouncement, they should zoom into action, to prove that they mean what they said.

“Agbekoya is yet to decide whether  to join agitation for Yoruba nation or not. The group, in its view believes that if the head is rotten, the  whole body will be rotten. What is happening in the country is not only affecting South West, it affects everyone including Hausa, Igbo and even the Fulanis’.

“From Agbekoya’s view, we believe that current situation of the country is being instigated by foreign countries; they don’t want peace and unity in Nigeria, that is why we are yet to thrown our weight behind agitation for Yoruba nation; We are still on the fence, but if Federal Government fail to address many issues hampering peace and unity of the country, we will be left with no option than to join agitation for Yoruba nation”, he said.

Speaking further, he said Agbekoya would not say something without standing by it, insisting that the agitation for secession would not come without crisis; “there must be crisis” .

“Whoever wants to get independent cannot get it without struggle. The restructuring people are calling for if it is done without political gimmicks as it was done in the case of Amotekun, it will solve our problem. I have called Sunday Igboho, and we discussed at length, some of what they are agitating for is right, thanks to the media for giving South West support and helping us to air our voices if not for that, the region would have suffered a lot, “ Ogunlana said.