Afenifere Raises Alarm Over Rising Terror, Kidnappings In South-West And Neighbouring States
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed grave concern over persistent terrorist assaults within the South-west and the neighbouring states, warning that the event heightened fears of a full-scale incursion into Yorubaland.
In a press release issued by its Nationwide Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, the organisation mentioned repeated assaults in Kwara, Kogi, and Niger states, alongside current kidnappings in Ondo, Ekiti, and Oyo states, introduced a deeply troubling safety trajectory.
Afenifere recalled that closely armed bandits who invaded Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Native Authorities Space (LGA) of Kwara State, the penultimate week, reportedly killed practically 200 folks and kidnapped a number of others.
In the identical week, the organisation recalled that bandits launched additional assaults in neighbouring Kogi and Edo states, in addition to in Niger, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
It recalled that final Thursday, bandits struck once more in Edo and Oyo states, abducting a number of harmless residents, together with a junior secondary college woman on the Problem space of Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
Describing the pattern as alarming, Afenifere said: “This can be a very disturbing improvement as circumstances of abduction appear to be on the rise in Yorubaland. Incidents in Ondo, Ibadan, and Kaduna occurred within the metropolis. That means that terror acts are now not confined to rustic settings the place authorities presence is skinny, if in any respect.”
The organisation famous that the kidnapping of the schoolgirl in Ibadan occurred in broad daylight, as her mom was dropping her off at college within the bustling Problem space, located on the higher finish of Ring Street on the Lagos-bound axis of town.
The incident, it pressured, underscored the truth that kidnappings are occurring inside city centres.
Afenifere additional noticed that abductions of schoolchildren and assaults on locations of worship, church buildings, and mosques, in addition to markets, had beforehand been prevalent within the northern elements of the nation, including that Kwara State now appeared to have joined the league of affected areas.
In accordance with the group, current reviews additionally indicated that bandits had issued advance notices of assaults on some communities in Kwara State, suggesting that the serial sacking of villages, as soon as largely related to the North-East and Center Belt, was spreading to new territories.
Ajayi, nonetheless, referred to as on the governors of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos states, in addition to their counterparts in Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta states, to urgently put in place sturdy safety preparations that may allow residents to “sleep with their two eyes closed.”
He recalled that the six South-west governors, at their assembly in Ibadan on November 24, 2025, resolved to strengthen regional safety.
Among the many measures proposed have been establishing a South-West Safety Fund (SWSF) and creating monitoring centres to trace potential terrorist exercise. Ajayi additionally famous that the Ogun State Authorities lately inaugurated closed-circuit tv (CCTV) monitoring centres to additional this goal.
The Afenifere spokesman maintained that the persistence of banditry and terrorism can’t be attributed to a scarcity of intelligence.
“It’s, nonetheless, not debatable that banditry and terrorism are persevering with, not as a result of there isn’t a data on or about bandits and terrorists.
“Terrorism is changing into pervasive as a result of even the knowledge out there will not be being processed and used within the curiosity of the folks. Fairly, it, in lots of circumstances, even serves the curiosity of those that are clearly ‘the enemies of the folks!” the group mentioned.
Citing particular situations, Ajayi referred to the testimony of the top of Woro village in Kaiama, Kwara State, Alhaji Umar Bio Salihu, who reportedly disclosed {that a} letter warning of an impending assault had been written and forwarded to larger authorities earlier than his village was attacked, but the assault nonetheless occurred.
He additional alleged that, as attested by involved people and {groups}, the identities of sure bandits and their sponsors have been recognized. Nonetheless, these liable for taking motion “failed woefully,” typically allegedly colluding with felony parts moderately than performing within the public curiosity.
Ajayi additionally pointed to the instance of some northern states, notably Katsina, which entered into so-called “Peace Pacts” with bandits, saying that, regardless of such agreements, reviews indicated that assaults continued in a number of communities.
He additional criticised the position.
Adedayo Akinwale
Times Nigeria