6th July, 2017
…Charges obas to brace up
…Indicts Baales of colluding with kidnappers
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday vowed to stamp out the dreaded ritual cult group, Badoo from Lagos, saying that they are not spirits that are invincible.
The governor, who spoke at the commissioning of a fire station in Epe area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria said he did not believe that Badoo members were spirits and could disappear.
He, therefore, charged traditional rulers, especially in Ikorodu to wake up from their slumber by helping the government to nip in the bud rising waves of kidnapping and Badoo menace in the state.
Saying his government was seriously concerned about rampaging cases of kidnapping and Badoo menace in the state, Ambode said his government was wholeheartedly committed to safety of lives and properties in the state.
“I just want to assure Lagosians that we are doing everything possible. We don’t run the government on the pages of the newspapers, and that’s why you see that we do not make comments on the newspapers, but we are trying as much as possible to make sure that we get these children back safely which is more important for us and also make sure that we tighten the security in our waterways to make sure that we support the security agencies in ensuring that the right things are done and then we keep pace,” he said.
Ambode said it had come to the point that traditional rulers in the state must come together and speak to the baales in Ikorodu to nip kidnapping in the bud.
According to the governor, intelligence reports had it that some of the baales colluded with kidnappers to kidnap people in remote areas.
In his words: “This is also a good opportunity for me to say this since the majority of our traditional rulers are here. We just want to pass a message to say that we need to come together and ensure that we speak to all our baales in the communities that we are having issues and also in Ikorodu to say that we must speak to ourselves.
“We have intelligence here that some of these things are coming from within and our Kabiyesis and Obas need to do something as quickly as possible to arrest this decadence that we have here.
“As far as the Badoo case is concerned, I don’t believe that it has anything to do with a disappearing ghost. I don’t also believe that the rituals can be taking place, without some people not being behind it. So, I challenge all our Kabiyesis and all our traditional rulers and Baales, we must arrest this situation as quickly as possible and show that traditional value that we have always been known for and then we would continue to support you.”
However, the governor said the fire station was being commissioned to enhance safety of lives and properties in Epe, adding that his administration would deliver more fire stations across the State.