Chairman of Oyo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun, Col. Kunle Togun has said that okada riders in the state work as spies for kidnappers.
Togun speaking on the insecurity challenge faced in Oyo State on Monday said kidnappings in the state is facilitated by foreigners who enter the state through the country’s porous borders and use the bike men as spies because they cannot speak English.
He added that he has advised traditional rulers to avoid selling their lands to foreigners who do not have the appropriate papers and visas in accordance with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“Traditional chiefs and leaders in Yoruba land take money, cows and cars from these herdsmen and allow them to settle down and wreak havoc in their domains,” Togun said.
“I have attended meetings of Obas in Oke-Ogun and I told them to stop giving land to foreigners. These herdsmen are called Bororos in Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa. They are not Nigerians. What is happening should not be analysed in the area of religion, it is territorial expansion.
“Their leaders argue about the ECOWAS free movement law, but the one I am aware of is that anybody from ECOWAS country can go to another ECOWAS nation without visa, but you cannot stay there for more than 90 days at a stretch. Some of these people have been occupying our land for years and they are not Nigerians.
“Most of them that were dumped here by trailers during the COVID-19 lockdown have turned to Okada riders. Many are pushing wheelbarrows all over the place, selling carrots, oranges and the rest. The Okada riders are their spies. We have noted this and we are working on government policy that will curtail the use of these people to foment trouble in Oyo State and Yoruba land as a whole.”
