The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams says terrorists have made inroads into 40 local governments in the South-West geopolitical zone, lamenting the cold shoulders he has received from governors of the region on the need for coordinated action to tackle security challenges across the South-West.
Speaking in a media interview, Adams said he has repeatedly raised the alarm about the influx of terrorists in the region for the past two years, adding that his office has also made attempts to collaborate with governors in the region to no avail.
“We have 137 local government areas in the south-west, and we spotted not remnants of terrorists, but a lot of terrorists in no fewer than 40 local governments. We have many terrorists that have infiltrated those local government areas,” he said.
“We kept that document to ourselves because we were more confident that working with state governments, which are the institutions governing the states, would yield results compared to working with law enforcement agents.
“As a result, we called for collaboration with state governments for the past two years. This is a government that knows your antecedents, knows that you have a structure across Yorubaland, even beyond Yorubaland and in some northern states, yet refuses to talk to you, refuses to agree with you, or even assist you, despite being in power and benefitting from security votes.
“Yet they didn’t call to discuss with you. So, you have to bear in mind that the only assistance you can give to Yoruba people is to talk to the media and give little information that some states have been infiltrated and that there would be attacks in those states, because you are not helping matters by divulging the entire information.”
His comments come amid growing concerns over rising security incidents in parts of the region. Terrorists have also repeatedly struck communities in Ondo, south-west Nigeria, in recent times.
The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde had hosted a press briefing held at his private residence in Kolapo Ishola Estate, Ibadan, where he gave an update on the security situation following the attack on Community High School, Ahoro-Ẹ̀sínẹ̀lẹ̀, L.A. Basic School, Ahoro-Ẹ̀sínẹ̀lẹ̀, and First Baptist Church Nursery and Primary School, Yáwọ́ta.
The Governor said one of the abducted teachers was reportedly killed while in captivity, according to a viral video currently circulating on social media.
Speaking on reported attempts by hunters to engage the kidnappers who abducted schoolchildren in Oriire LGA of Oyo state, Adams said the hunters possess limited powers.
He added that all factions of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) and other groups in the South-West will collaborate to confront the criminals in the South-West.
“All hands must be on deck to confront these criminals. You can have less potential and still know the criminals in your area. Security is not always about carrying sophisticated arms.
“You need intelligent people. You need people who can infiltrate enemy territories. You need multilingual people who can speak different languages and use that advantage to gather intelligence.
“You also need people with spiritual potential. You even need clerics who will pray for the success of your mission. So, the issue of security has different sectors. By combining those sectors, you can achieve victory against criminals,” he said.
