The Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area in Kwara State, Hajji AbdulRasheed Yusuf, has explained why all the seven council chairmen in the Kwara South Senatorial District initially agreed to shut their cattle markets and why it was reversed.
Answering questions on the Newskeg programme of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Ilorin, Yusuf said it was discovered through intelligence reports that informants come to the cattle markets at night to pass information to bandits.
“We shut the cattle markets when we discovered that informants come to the markets to exchange information with bandits at night.”
He stated that it was not a mistake that the decision was taken, nor was it pressure on them that it was reversed.
Yusuf, who spoke on his achievements at his one-year anniversary as the council chairman, said they took the decision after diligent investigation based on security findings.
According to him, security agencies and security-conscious individuals had, before the closure, wondered why Kara (cattle markets) wouldn’t open for business before 12 noon and wouldn’t close until 2 a.m.
“That was why we shut the Kara market, 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 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily,” he further explained.
The council chairman lamented that virtually almost everybody in Ifelodun has turned informant to bandits, adding that “you don’t even know who to trust.”
According to him, it became worrisome when security agencies informed the council authorities that over 98 per cent of those kidnapped were Fulanis, not Yorubas.
Kwara council chairman gives reasons for closure of cattle markets