From Abdul Salaudeen Ilorin
Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Hadji AbdulRasheed Yusuf has explained why the seven council chairmen in Kwara South Senatorial District initially agreed to shut their cattle markets and why it was reversed.
According to him, it was not a mistake that the decision was taken nor pressure on them that it was reversed.
Enumerating his achievements in his one year anniversary to journalists in Ilorin, he said they took the decision after diligent investigation based on security findings.
He said security agencies and security conscious individuals had before the closure wondered why “kaara” (cattle markets) would not open for business before 12 noon and not close until 2am.
Featuring on the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Correspondents Chapel’s “Newkeg,” the council chairman said it was discovered that informants visit the markets at night to pass information to bandits.
“We shut cattle markets when we noticed that informants come to the markets to exchange information with bandits.
“That was why we shut the cattle markets and when we did that, we were able to cut the practice.
“Later, we all agreed to reopen but with serious monitoring. This we did by restricting activities to between 6am-6pm daily,” he explained.
Yusuf noted that “virtually almost everybody in Ifelodun has turned informants to bandits; you don’t even know who to trust.”
According to him, it was worrisome when security agencies informed the council authorities that over 98 percent of those kidnapped are Fulanis and not Yorubas.
