,Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of, Ondo State has raised the alarm again insisted that the Fulani herdsmen, bandits and ISWAP work together inside Ondo State forests.
Akeredolu in an interview on Channels TV on Monday said the marauders plan their attacks and it is hard to differentiate their heinous operations in Ondo State except there is concrete evidence.
The governor said: “I reacted to the Federal government’s conclusion almost immediately because I asked what evidence they have; it is important to let us know because the security agencies were too quick to jump to the conclusion that it was done by ISWAP.
“I expect that if ISWAP had attacked the church in Owo all this while, they would have come out and owned up but some of us have our fears that it is not ISWAP and we do not agree with that position.”
Akeredolu reiterated that Ondo State had faced attacks from bandits, Fulani herdsmen and the ISWAP operating from its forests and so they could not be separated on which group carried out the Owo attack except there was concrete evidence.
“But whatever it is, we stand by the position that it’s a trilogy that is operating in our forests and causing havoc, we just have Fulani herdsmen right in front, followed by these bandits, and again ISWAP; so, the three of them work together and they work separately.
“So, we are not people who will buy the idea that maybe it is ISWAP, or bandits, or Fulani herdsmen; we have faced terrorism in Ondo State from the three.
“So, I don’t know how you want to separate them except you have concrete evidence.”
Speaking further he said security agencies are still on the trail of the terrorists as no headway as being made yet.
He also said the Amotekun only recovered the vehicle and telephones used by the perpetrators which had been handed over to the Department of State Services.
The governor said: “We are still on the track of the perpetrators and we are yet to make serious headway and that’s for many reasons; these people usually disappear into our forests and from there migrate to other states and a number of times, it is usually difficult for competent hands in the security to pursue them to other states other than their own area of operation. We are still on their trail and hopefully we will still get them.
“I listened to the Commander of Amotekun and there was no time he made categorical statement; what he said was very clear, that they were on the trail of the perpetrators and they virtually got one of the vehicles they used and some telephones which have been handed over to the DSS for analysis and they know what to do with the telephone and who to contact and screen the phones.
“This is the best we have for now and there was never a time they said they made arrest; it was very clear as to what happened that they were still on the trail.”