Traditional leaders in Lagos and Ogun States have appealed to the Federal Government and their respective state governments to support efforts by traditional institutions in the country in the fight against insecurity.
Some of the traditional leaders made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.
According to them, insecurity will be better tackled if traditionalists are supported to complement the efforts of law enforcement agents.
They urged the government to recognise the spiritual powers of traditionalists, which they said, had proved potent over the years, to fight insecurity.
Oba Babatunde Saliu, the Elebo II of Oworoshoki Kingdom in Lagos State, said that spiritual means of curbing insecurity was very effective in the olden days and still remained potent till today.
According to him, there should be synergy between the government and various community leaders to tackle the present challenges in the country.
“In our community here, we have traditional ways of securing our areas against the bad boys and other security threats from outsiders, and things are working well.
“We need government’s full support to back us up and encourage our traditionalists to fight the lingering insecurity in the country.
” ‘Oro’ masquerades and other spiritual means are powerful ways of combating security challenges since time immemorial.
“If traditionalists are supported to fight insecurity with the police and other agencies, the problem will be solved outright,” he said.
Oba Samuel Adeluola, Onimeran Meran Awori in Lagos State, told NAN that securing communities was a collective responsibility.
Adeluola said that the government must not separate traditional institutions in the security arrangement of the country.
“This is a collective responsibility, there must be synergy between the government and the local community leaders in securing their respective areas.
“Meetings must be held regularly because we are closer to the people, we know the nooks and crannies of our area and we can easily identify strangers.
“We need the government’s support to use our traditional means of tackling the menace of insecurity like in the olden days,” he said.
Chief Sunday Fatoki, Head of Mosafejo Community, Pakoto Ifo in Ogun, told NAN that both leaders and residents were not relenting in securing the community.
Fatoki said that lack of government’s support was one of the challenges of proper security in the area.
“We do not have the government’s support at all here in the Ifo community, all we are doing here is through self effort.
“But we cannot do it alone without the government’s intervention,” he said.
The traditional leader said ‘Oro’ masquerades’ spells and incantations were normally used in the olden days to protect the land “but nowadays the government would not allow the use of such in the modern society.”
Fatoki said that the traditionalists were ready in the state to support the government with local masquerades and other spiritual means to solve the problem of insecurity.
Mr Olubowale Kasunmu, Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos said traditional means of securing the various communities had become imperative.
Kasunmu said securing communities the traditional way would help to solve the lingering insecurity in the country.
“The community leaders are ready to work and put an end to the lingering insecurity but one of our challenges is the constitution which recognises police alone as the security personnel that can arrest and prosecute the offenders.
“Because no matter the efforts you put in place we cannot do anything behind the police.
“If a thief is caught, the police may tell you to release the suspect for want of evidence, even when you give them overwhelming evidence.
“At the same time the police are short of personnel, in Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, we have more than 2, 700 streets. with no fewer than 20 houses per street and I am not sure if there are up to 400 policemen in the LCDA.
“That’s why we are saying Nigeria is ripe for community policing unless the government wants insecurity to persist.
“It is not as if we don’t know what to do, but we need government support to conquer the challenges,” the CDC chairman said.
Mr Lukmon Olaoluwa, Secretary, Council of Elders in Oworonshoki in Lagos, also told NAN that the government needed to recognise the traditional means of securing the area.
According to him, the country should emulate China, which is one of the countries in the world using their traditions to solve their local problems.
Olaoluwa said that the government should not take security issues with levity, adding that there must be synergy between the government’s security personnel and the traditional leaders.
Chief Sunday Odunlami, Oluwo of Ifo in Ogun, also told NAN that the government should support local vigilantes and traditionalists to fight insecurity.
Odunlami who is also the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman in Irepodun/Ojusango community in the area, said the situation in the country required a new thinking.
He called for the active collaboration between traditionalists and police to fight crime in the state.