The outcome of investigations into the June 5 terror attack at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, was shocking to everybody. It came as a shock that the suspects arrested in connection with the attack were from the Ebira community in the state; whereas a different group was initially suspected to have committed the heinous crime.
Ebiras are mostly migrant farmers in search of fertile lands for farming. They hail from Kogi State and are scattered in several villages in Ondo and Edo States. About 40 persons were killed and 70 others injured in the church attack. Moreover, several kidnapped victims narrated that they were taken to farmsteads of the Ebiras where they were kept until the ransom was paid.
Peeved by the outcome of the investigations and narration of kidnapped victims, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu summoned leaders of the Ebira community in the state and urged them to desist from harbouring criminals. He urged them to concentrate on their farming business, adding that it is unfortunate that the Ebiras are now involved in kidnapping. “We are appealing to them not to copy bad thing. The traders selling by the roadside should not become informants. We are not fighting them. We have lived together for too long for this to happen. I am ready to make any effort to ensure that the conviviality that we have enjoyed continues. But we are begging their leaders to urge them not to copy bad things. They are in our midst; we are surrounded by them. The issue of security is key and it’s dynamic.”
Governor Akeredolu directed leaders of Ebira in the state to help security agencies flush out criminals among them. “We summoned this meeting with our brothers. They are not new here but because of the recent developments that have to do with the Owo massacre and kidnappings, we have to call ourselves. I can assure you all that we have had a very frank discussion with ourselves and the leader of the Ebiras in Ondo State spoke on behalf of Ebiras and a few other persons.
“It is clear that the message from us to them is well understood and we have assurance from the Ebiras who are living in Ondo State that they would corporate with the security agencies and that the incident in Owo was something that they felt very bad about. I also have received a letter from Ohinoyi of Ebiraland that is the leader of Ebira in the world, commiserating again and expressing his embarrassment on what happened. So, we leave here today with the belief that our brothers, Ebira that are here, would at the least work to ensure that there is security in Ondo State and in doing that, we have charged them to discuss with all their people.
“They have assured us they would do that and we want to call on our people that at least, let us continue with our brotherliness and maintain the good relationship we have had with them in the past. We believe that it is not those who are residing here that came to perpetrate this crime. That is what they have said and we should give them another chance.”
As a means of encouraging residents in the state, especially rural dwellers to report criminals, Governor Akeredolu announced a reward of N50,000 for anyone who provided information or incidents that led to the arrest of kidnappers and other criminals in the state. The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, said the reward system was to encourage citizens to give useful and timely information about criminal activities in any part of the state. “From now on, anyone who reports a crime and we follow the trail, and it leads to a successful prosecution of the criminal, that person will be offered a reward of N50,000. We want people in Ondo State to say something when they see something.
“We want our people to be proactive in the area of security to rid Ondo State of criminals, bandits and terrorists. The toll-free line is 0800-555-5555. Anybody can call to give security tips and report any criminal activities in his or her area.”
Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, who is representing Ondo South senatorial district, lauded the policy and urged the state government to ensure protection for the whistle-blowers. He said: “When you provide information, who manages the information and how protected is the informant? A whistle-blower can receive threats of retaliation from members of criminal gangs exposed. Mr. Governor should strive towards ensuring adequate funding and equipping the security agencies who would play a vital role in working upon any information released by the whistle-blower to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.
“If I were part of the body that set up this meaningful idea, I would put in place a preventive and sincere measure to combat crime and unemployment. When I say preventive measures, I mean there is a need to alleviate poverty and reduce unemployment in the state. After which the government should now equip Nigeria police in the state and build functioning police stations and encourage synergy between Amotekun and Nigeria police to improve the internal security of the state.”
A human rights activist, Tope Tomekun, said the whistle-blowing policy would not curb crime like a good economy, good government, availability of jobs for employable youths and payment of salaries as and when due would do. He called for the enactment of specific laws for the specific purpose of criminalizing blowing a false whistle. His words: “Whistleblowing policy is a sub-set of community policing system. Only people know people. Kidnappers and criminals generally are neither spirits nor elusive entities. They are human beings, part of the community and its everyday doings. They party, they club, they attend family meetings, and community development meetings; they attend churches, and mosques and pay their offerings and tithes. Some take up privileged or prestigious titles in the community and religious centres. They, like us all, have partners, trusted ones they love and are loved, friends, company they keep, collaborators and confidants.
“In all these, while the police, because of the poor policing system in the country and the distrust between the populace and the police, might not have good access to information needed to fight crimes, the populace knows who are into these crimes and it’s not possible in human society to carry out kidnapping without having support participants and collaborators, who also are part of the community.
“Giving information out in exchange for monetary gain will go a long way to make more tips and hints accessible to the government agency assigned to combat this menace and I am very confident it will help in information gathering, which is topmost amongst facilities necessary to fight crime.
“If the state could put measures in place, like statutory enactment, to checkmate abuse, it will further strengthen the efficacy of the policy. In the absence of such safeguard, a hungry populace where workers work but don’t get paid can easily breed professional whistle-blowers blowing set-ups, frame-ups, and false information, to implicate innocent people to make living. The laws available in our criminal code which criminalize giving false information to public officers may not be enough to deal with this. Just like specific laws on kidnapping are in place, there must be specific laws for the specific purpose of criminalising blowing a false whistle.”
The Chairman, Association of Resident Doctors, FMC, Owo, Dr. Olaopa Olutobi Gideon, said the new ideas on exposing criminals were to improve the security situation in the state but expressed pessimism if the policy would hit the target it was aimed at. He said the federal government’s whistle-blowing policy became counterproductive because it was done with insincerity. He said: “The people are somewhat sceptical of the sincerity of such policies because they may and most likely will be politicised. It is very risky to divulge such information as it only exposes the individual, family or group unnecessarily if the info should leak. No one can guarantee that especially since trust is a weak link between the government and the masses. And what sincerity is thereby offering a paltry sum of 50k for such information?
“The sum offered is rather unconvincing, shows insincerity at the least and should be stepped up while also highlighting protective measures already in place to guarantee the safety of such whistle-blowers. Traditional rulers have a better grassroots grasp of happenings within their localities. They should be convoked to provide more useful counsel. State policing system is very paramount in bringing security matters to the grassroots.”
A Yoruba Nation activist, Maxwell Adeleye, said the money should be increased for people to be motivated to give true information to security agencies. He said the EFCC whistle-blowing policy was abused, adding that that was why people started giving false information. He said: “Information provided should be processed and analysed. So that innocent people are not punished for doing anything. It is a well-thought idea. He should invoke the doctrine of necessity by buying good arms for the Amotekun Corps.”
Also, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Ondo State, Kennedy Peretei, said the policy was laughable. His words: “If you consider the risk involved in the whistleblowing, then you will immediately appreciate that not many people will put their lives on the line for a paltry 50,000 given what the APC has reduced our economy to.”
