Afenifere raises alarm over rising insecurity across South-West, other regions

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has voiced renewed concern over the growing wave of insecurity sweeping through parts of the South-West and other regions of Nigeria, warning that incidents of kidnapping and violent attacks are becoming increasingly alarming.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, the group described the trend as deeply troubling, noting that criminal activities have intensified, with communities being overrun, homes destroyed, and residents subjected to brutal attacks.

The organisation cited several recent incidents, including the abduction of a trader in Jinarere, Ibadan; the kidnapping of two staff members of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company along the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road; attacks on families in Ondo and Ekiti states; the killing of farmers in Tede and Ago-Are; and the murder of military police personnel in Tenibo/Kenanji in Kwara State.

It also decried the abduction of National Youth Service Corps members, the displacement of traditional rulers from their palaces in parts of Kwara due to persistent bandit attacks, and raids on vulnerable institutions such as orphanages, places of worship, markets, and homes.

The statement read, “Before now, reports of incidents of this nature used to be from other climes. But these days, the horrendous incidents are also occurring in Yorubaland of Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara and parts of Kogi.

“We are deeply concerned about this, just as we are uncomfortable with the sacking of communities, kidnapping, killing, livestock rustling, arson and maiming of people in some other parts of the country, particularly in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Nassarawa, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory; to mention a few.”

Read also: Senate tightens rules ahead of 2027, moves to sideline incoming political heavyweights

Addressing the safety of corps members, Afenifere urged the Federal Government to reconsider the current deployment structure of the National Youth Service Corps, advocating that participants be allowed to serve within their states of residence to reduce exposure to security risks.

The group referenced specific cases involving young Nigerians who were attacked or abducted while travelling to orientation camps.

He said, “Sodiq Ogunlana, a LASU graduate, was shot and abducted on his way to Orientation Camp in Ede, Osun State; Lateefah, a graduate of Kwara Polytechnic, was abducted on her way to the NYSC camp in Taraba State, as well as Gift David Samiya, abducted on the Akwanga-Jos road while going to the camp.

“Afenifere first made this call as far back as 2021 when some youth corps members were attacked by bandits. Recent happenings compel us to reiterate our earlier call in this respect. No Nigerian or anybody else deserves to be kidnapped or killed extra-judicially.

“Youth corpers deserve special treatment because of their peculiar nature. For this reason, if the scheme could not be suspended, a modification should be brought to it in such a way that participants would be mobilised to serve in their respective states or states of residence rather than having to be posted to states far away from the areas they are familiar with.”

On strategies to combat banditry and terrorism, the group advocated the adoption of broader, non-kinetic approaches, stressing that reliance on force alone has not yielded sufficient results.

Ajayi pointed to the recurring use of motorcycles by armed groups during attacks, questioning the apparent inability of security agencies to intercept such movements.

According to him, this trend reinforces concerns about internal compromise within security structures and influential networks.

The statement added, “A convoy of armed youths on motorbikes ought to attract the attention of security agencies at any level and in any climate. Reports have it that those who attacked communities in Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Plateau and Benue states usually rode on motorbikes.

“They cover their faces and carry arms. It is difficult to believe that such convoys would escape the surveillance radar of security agencies.

“For such groups to be able to get to their targets and carry out their dastardly acts successfully tends to suggest that there is complicity at the highest level, including among some powerful people in the communities.

“Those carrying out mining, especially illegal mining, are other elements Afenifere wants the government to beam a searchlight on.

“Indications are that illegal miners tend to move into some communities shortly after the residents were attacked, sent packing and/or forced into captivity.”

Afenifere concluded by urging authorities at all levels to intensify efforts to restore security and protect lives, warning that the current trajectory poses a serious threat to stability across the country.

The post Afenifere raises alarm over rising insecurity across South-West, other regions appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.