Technology is a gift and a curse. It gives everyone a right to speak, but not everyone speaks from knowledge. In Osun’s current security crisis, the greatest threat is not lack of information – we have credible journalists – but the misinterpretation of sensitive security issues by commentators – figures of confusion and digital illiteracy who validate their political camps rather than interrogate facts.
Osun is boiling. It has not recovered from its self-inflicted injury. Election has come and gone, but consequences of every action either as sponsors, enablers, or defenders of electoral violence defined by cultism and political thuggery still live with us. You can not eat ‘Eba with soup’ and complain of stained fingers. The killing spree continues. Young people who protect, think, and build in other places are victims here. A supremacy battle among cult groups driven by political benefits and revenge is ongoing in the state. The boys are thirsty for blood. They have not drunk enough. Comrade Waheed Saka (Mao) was right when he said only the law could stop the killing.
Osun boys are very angry. I did a random survey and divided the angry ones into three. The ‘hard guys’ represent the first and the most dangerous one. They were the violent and crime perpetrators of the August 2026 guber election. They were political mercenaries. Through the help of desperate politicians, ‘cultists and garage boys’ held the people to ransom. They nearly took over police stations in person. They were armed with weapons and utility vehicles by politicians.
The 2026 election has gone, but we have not recovered weapons. They use these weapons for two things – robbery and killing (revenge). During the poll, politicians enabled cultism and thuggery for political benefits. They accommodated these hard guys for security work. They set them against each other in different camps. The issue escalated, and they messed themselves up. In Ilesa, an Eiye member killed another because he was working against his sponsor.
Politicians disrupted the system. Key figures in each fraternity fell, and according to their rules, they must be avenged. But the system needed a spark which the killing of Emir Ajagungbade provided. It initiated a journey of revenge. When law slumbers, people resort to self-help. No fewer than five ‘hard’ guys recently fell. It won’t end until the law intervenes. Criminal justice must be activated. Police must investigate the killings, arrest, and prosecute offenders without fear, bias, and compromise. They must be punished to serve as deterrents to others.
The emergency activists who wear garments of selective justice and patriotism represent the second and the least dangerous ones. They only remember morality and law when they cry or are disturbed by a process. They are the least dangerous because they pose no significance or threat. These ‘angry boys’ know nothing but are like loosely-packed wolves in a compound with a broken gate. They don’t need intelligence to be controlled. They only need a whistle and heartless blower.
They are always angry. When this killing started and the police were asked to be responsible, they got angry. When CP Ibrahim Gotan was asked to resign, they got angry. They also passed a vote of confidence on the CP while protesting the killings. When branded utility vehicles allegedly linked to politicians were spotted near crime scenes, and people raised an eyebrow, they got angry. When activists decried the free flow of arms and ammunitions and reckless use with perceived police bias, they got angry.
When scholars argued that enabling cultists by politicians would throw the state into turmoil, they got angry. When people ask the police to arrest and punish thugs tormenting troubles, they got angry because they are related by blood, ambition, and party. They are angry birds. These individuals exist in every society. They complete the socio ecosystem. Thankfully, they can only shout. They mistake following for wisdom, noise for strategy, and ranting for action. Clowns!
The genuine activists and patriots who view issues objectively and prioritize the safety of the people represent the third one. They are only angry, not dangerous, but when deeply concerned about issues, they exhibit courage. They do not wear garment of selective justice. I was away for 10 days, but their walls contain articles of caution and action. Their anger is understood. Who watches his state soaked in blood and makes merry? The ongoing bloodbath is deeply concerning and worrisome. The “hard guys” are angry. The “emergency activists” are angry. The genuine activists and patriots have a duty – to push the police and government to do their jobs. They must use the law to stop the killing. Every death must be accounted for. There must be penalty for every killing.
Likewise, I have observed that there is a problem of identity crisis in the state. People do not know themselves and what the state needs from them. Osun digital space is too flexible for clowns to cohabit. We need scholars who can look at issues discreetly and passionately to mold opinions for public good and safety. We need professionals to dictate directions. We must rescue Osun from angry birds who are easily provoked by aggravated issues they don’t understand. When scholars and professionals take the wheels, there will be sanity.
We need two things in Osun – a social media gate and peace. Scholars and professionals can provide the gate, while the police and government must protect and secure the people. We must not wait until ordinary people become victims of system infighting. We must rescue Osun from her self-inflicted injury and social media validators. We must heal her. Every participant must be active and responsible.