By Milcah Tanimu

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has urged Yoruba monarchs not to forsake the use of supernatural powers in defending themselves and their territories against attackers. He cautioned that those unwilling to embrace such powers should consider stepping down from their thrones.

This plea was made by the monarch during the inaugural Yoruba Security Summit held on Thursday, in response to the escalating insecurity in the Southwest region and the tragic killings of traditional rulers in Ekiti and Kwara states.

After the summit, a communique was issued and endorsed by the Ooni of Ife, along with other monarchs including the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade; the Owa-Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole; and the Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi.

The Southwest monarchs agreed on various measures to tackle insecurity, including organizing regional security summits led by Southwest governors and bolstering the Amotekun Corps with improved training, funding, and modern weaponry to address local security challenges.

They underscored the significance of traditional values and the roles of Yoruba traditional rulers in combating banditry and kidnapping.

Additionally, the communique advocated for the integration of traditional rulers into the national security framework and called for the strengthening of the judicial process to ensure appropriate punishment for offenders.

The summit concluded with a call for unwavering support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and stressed the necessity for regular Yoruba security summits to address evolving security dynamics.

Part of the communique reads, “Yoruba people should assert control over their forests, homelands, and farmlands.

“The Yoruba, especially traditional rulers, should leverage their natural resources, including supernatural powers, to counter banditry and kidnapping; Yoruba Obas should uphold traditional values.

“Government at all levels should acknowledge the roles of traditional rulers and integrate them into the national security architecture.

“All the Obas in Yorubaland should unite to repel the scourges of banditry and kidnappings, as individual state efforts may only displace perpetrators to neighboring states.

“Any Oba who lacks interest in Yoruba culture and customs should consider abdicating the throne in favor of someone deeply committed and knowledgeable about Yoruba traditions.”