The Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere has condemned the statement attributed to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on the state of the country’s security challenges, particularly, kidnapping in the South-West and other parts of the country.

This was in reaction to what the Vice President said on Sunday during his visit to the United States of America that kidnapping activities reported across the country were politically motivated.

The Afenifere described the statement as unfortunate and provocative.

In a communique issued at the end of the group’s monthly meeting held at the residence of the leader of the group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, at Akure, the Ondo State capital, and read by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin.

It reads, “All the reports provided clear indications of failure of the state as the security forces are largely incapable or unwilling to safeguard the lives of our people against these criminals as we are not aware of any of them that has been arrested or is under trial at the moment just as all the Federal Government has done so far is to make excuses for the Boko Haram and Miyetti Allah groups that have been accused of so many crimes against the people of Nigeria.

“It is against this backdrop that the meeting was scandalized by the opportunistic and provocative utterances of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in New York on Sunday dismissing the danger we are faced in Yoruba land as well as by other zones in Nigeria as being “politically motivated.”

Odumakin added, “As if he is unaware that we are in a digital world, which explains why America and Britain have issued travel directives to their citizens not to travel to more than 2/3 of Nigeria, the VP without much thought for his integrity stated that:  ‘With respect to general kidnapping which we have seen in parts of the country, again, this is not entirely new. In fact, some of the kidnapping stories you read or listen to are simply not true anywhere, some are fueled by politics.”

The group were displeased with the Vice President’s statement being a son from the region.