Women Demand Justice For Osun Youth Chased To Death By JTF Operatives
By Sodiq Yusuf
Nigerian women have demanded justice on the killing of a youth, Idris Ajibola, who was chased to death by security operatives of the Joint Taskforce in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun.
The women, under the auspices of the National Council of Women’s Society, also called on the security agencies to fish out the masterminds of the dastardly act, and bring them to book.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo on Monday, the state President of the NCWS, Mrs Betty Jadesola-Adelowo, said the society comprising mothers was disturbed with the manner of the operation that led to the eventual death of the aluminium fabrication apprentice.
The society comprising representatives of women based organisations also frowned at the trend of civilian harassment by the police which has lingered for a while, calling on relevant authorities to arrest the ugly trend in no distant time so as to avert rampage by youths.
Jadesola-Awolowo said: “The system is so good now. We are in the 21st century and this manner of intimidation, harassment and killings should stop. Things are now easy to the extent that once you suspect a car that has questions to answer, you will take down the registration of the number plate for easy tracking of the vehicle for possible interrogation and investigations.
“We want to urge the policemen to stop this act, it has cost lives and we as mothers cannot fold our arms to see this evil thing happening everywhere. You remember the Kazeem Tiamiyu story of Ogun state, he was killed by the police after series of harassment which later resulted in his death.
“We are particularly concerned about the Osun incident and we want to sound a note of warning. If the police have anything to settle with anyone either in a moving car or motorcycle, let them calm down. We also want to appeal to both parents to train their children and make them contended with what they have. Dressing is one of the personality traits that reveal that children are not actually well brought up or lackadaisical like that. Parents should tutor our children very well, teach them the way of God so they would not do all these things that would make people run after them.”
Corroborating her, the third Assistant Secretary of the National Council of Women Society in Nigeria, Mrs Abosede Alamu told OSUN DEFENDER that the association was concerned about the welfare of all especially women and children.
She said: “We should increase more of mentoring for our children. Our security agencies should operate with international best practices. We don’t want them to kill our youths again. We should monitor our children as parents. We should monitor their movement, the kind of friends they keep and how they do their things to avoid some of these things. No uniform men should come and harass young boys all in the name of them being yahoo boys.
“We are all well-to-do mothers, we are responsible, we buy clothes for our children and we don’t want all these things to happen. Even if they are going to their friends place, the parents should know. Fathers and mothers should join hands to train their children. We want government to engage the youths by giving them Youth Resource Centre and women also, Women Resource Centre. The one we had for women before was converted to a ustomary Appeals Court at Oke-Fia here in Osogbo.
“We are well read and educated. Women have key roles to play in societal development and we must not be marginalised in the scheme of the things. We want more appointments. We have better ideas for the emancipation of the society. We want more inclusiveness in the business of governance.”
Alamu posited that the government should ensure that Ajibola’s matter is not swept under the carpet, doing so would send a bad signal not only across the country but the world over.
“Everyone is waiting for the report of the investigations currently going on. They should not sweep this matter under the carpet. Doing so would send a bad signal and the youths would be ready to take to the streets and be violent. “
