Iba Gani Adams, Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland has raised fresh concerns over worsening insecurity in the South-West, warning that terrorists and armed bandits have deeply infiltrated the region, with no fewer than 40 local government areas currently facing direct security threats.
Adams disclosed that intelligence reports at his disposal indicate that heavily armed criminal groups fleeing military offensives in the North-West have begun establishing camps within forests across the South-West.
His warning comes in the wake of the recent security breach in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where suspected bandits reportedly attacked three schools, killed a teacher, and abducted several students in coordinated assaults.
According to him, terrorists and armed bandits have now occupied forest corridors stretching across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo states, including parts of Kogi and Kwara states.
The Yoruba leader alleged that the criminal operations are highly coordinated and are being sponsored by foreign-backed elements and organized networks.
He further noted that the bandits have adopted dangerous guerrilla warfare tactics, shifting from nocturnal attacks to broad daylight operations targeting schools, highways, and public markets.
Adams also expressed concern over what he described as an alarming escalation in attacks on traditional institutions, revealing that several traditional rulers have been targeted and killed within their domains.
He criticized South-West governors for what he termed political complacency and inadequate commitment to regional security.
According to him, several letters and proposals he sent to governors over the past two years, seeking the organization of a South-West Security Summit, received no response.
While acknowledging the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, as a commendable initiative, Adams lamented that the outfit’s recruitment process had become politicized, with political loyalty allegedly taking precedence over operational competence.
He also decried the marginalization of the office of the Aare Onakakanfo, stating that his role had been reduced to intelligence sharing without active collaboration in joint security operations with relevant state authorities.
As part of measures to avert what he described as an impending security crisis, Adams announced his readiness to mobilize millions of local hunters and warriors under the umbrella of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the South-West Security Stakeholders Group (SSSG) to flush criminals out of forests, provided state governors grant official approval.
He further urged states bordering the South-West, particularly Kwara and Kogi, to establish localized security structures similar to Amotekun in order to strengthen security in vulnerable border communities.
The Yoruba leader also renewed his call for the immediate creation of state police, insisting that Nigeria’s centralized policing structure remains inadequate to effectively address the growing security challenges across the country.
He appealed to traditional rulers and residents across the region to strengthen local intelligence gathering and promptly report suspicious movements within forests and rural communities.
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