Daily Advent Nigeria

FLASHBACK: How Obasanjo Dealt With OPC Menace As President (VIDEO)

FLASHBACK: How Obasanjo Dealt With OPC Menace As President (VIDEO)

With the current spate of violent killings in the country involving Fulani herdsmen and then controversial the introduction of Ruga settlement initiative by the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, it is instructive to go back in time and see how previous security threats have been handled in the past.

Two days ago, the Indigenous People of Biafra warned all groups threatening indigenes of South-East states over the RUGA settlement program of the Nigerian government, saying that it would not succumb to threats to change its stance on the policy.

The group said it was ready for physical confrontation at the expiration of an ultimatum issued by the youth wing of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) which was billed to end in 30 days.

Emma Powerful, secretary, media and publicity for IPOB, in a statement on Thursday, said, “IPOB is a peaceful movement and must remain so but we cannot allow anybody to trample on us, by forcing our people to release their ancestral land to them.

“We are aware that cattle business remains personal business in Nigeria and cannot change today. The community’s ancestral lands are gifts from God, handed over to us to dwell, which must not be taken over under any guise by the government or Fulani.

“We challenge Fulani Islamists terrorists including their Arewa youths to do their worst after the expiration of the so-called 30-day ultimatum as was widely reported in every national and international media.

“We are anxiously and eagerly waiting for them in whatever shape they may want it.”

Apparently, the Ruga controversy is one which if not handled with firm hands by the president can be the fulcrum upon which the entity called Nigeria could disintegrate on.

Even Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has repeatedly voiced his concern at different fora of late.

A quick look at former President Olusegun Obasanjo stance on the then contentious issue of the Odua Peoples Congress is instructive here.

Reacting to the issue in a video which is presently circulating online, former President Olusegun has this to say:

”The Police have acted according to the instructions that they have been given that any criminal should be shot at sight.

”But now they have even got additional instruction. Anybody who calls himself OPC, should either be arrested or if he doesn’t give himself to arrest should be shot at sight. We cannot allow this country to be taken over by hoodlums and criminals.

See the video below: