Gani Adams dismisses olden days’ Are Onakakanfo, says leading Yoruba in war now suicidal

As the uproar generated by the murder of Funke Olakunrin, daughter of the Afenifre leader Reuben Fasoranti simmers down, the fabled war-loving Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has given a command: the Yoruba nation will not go to war yet.

It was a flight from the initial stand some of the Yoruba champions took in the wake of the last Friday incident many believe the perpetrators were Fulani herdsmen who have been .

And Adams gave reasons why he, the Yoruba generalissimo, would not make war now.

“My own Aare Ona Kakanfo is a modern one,” he told newsmen in Akure Thursday when he visited the Afenifere leader.

“It is not that of the olden days where the Alaafin and some Yoruba Obas with the Oyo Meesi will declare war and you can go to war.”

As a whitewashed, 21^st-century Yoruba warrior that he is now, the hip thing to do is obvious: don’t get in a hurry to be a hero, and pick your battle.

“We have the structure of security on the ground, the entire security apparatus,” he said.

Then, again, wisdom, he thinks, is the better part of valour.

“We have to be careful not to fall into their trap. We have to be careful,” he said.

Reason? He cherishes his freedom;  he doesn’t want to be cooped up by the state. Like the Islamic Movement of Nigeria leader Ibrahim El-Zaky-zaky and IPOB’s leader Nnamidi Kanu.

“It is good you see me in circulation walking with you,” he added.

“We don’t want a situation we will walk into their trap because we realise that this ugly incident is being coordinated beyond our own scene. There are some forces behind them.”

Among the forces, according to him, are those who issued statements to back them (the Fulani herdsmen) up—that is the CNGs. The group gave 30 days’ ultimatum to President Muhammdu Buhari who spiked the Ruga Settlement Policy for Fulani herdsmen following a public outcry.

“Then those who are strategists, who give instructions to those who strike, and those who issue statements,” Adams said. Three categories in all.

His third reason, the National Daily gathered,  for beating a retreat,  is the Yoruba nation itself.

“Our problem in Yorubaland is that we don’t prepare; we always react,” he said, adding that when you warn them to keep their gunpowder dry, they don’t give a hoot.

He said he wrote to the southwestern governors who collect security votes for a summit on security held three weeks ago. “Just within three hours we couldn’t conclude that summit before they left that venue.”

But in spite of these reasons, he believes a synergy with the governors is still in order.

“Don’t forget, that the governors are the chief security officers of their states and in a sensitive security situation like this we have to be very careful not to jump the gun.”