- The pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere has raised an alarm over the rise in kidnappings and terror attacks in Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, and parts of Kogi.
- In response to the abduction of graduates on their way to orientation camps, the group is calling for the National Youth Service Corps to be modified so participants serve only in their respective states of residence.
- The organization expressed skepticism that large convoys of armed bandits on motorbikes can evade security radar, suggesting possible complicity within security services or local leadership.
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, issued a stern warning on Tuesday regarding the deteriorating security situation in Yorubaland and several other regions of Nigeria.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Jare Ajayi, the group expressed deep worry over the frequency with which terrorists are sacking communities, maiming residents, and setting households on fire with “reckless abandon”.
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The group highlighted specific recent incidents, including the kidnapping of a trader in Ibadan, the abduction of electricity workers on the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road, and the killing of farmers in Tede and Ago-Are.
Afenifere specifically lamented the increasing vulnerability of youth corps members.
The group cited the recent shootings and abductions of graduates like Sodiq Ogunlana, Lateefah, and Gift David Samiya, who were all targeted while traveling to their various National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps.
Consequently, the organization has reiterated its 2021 call for a fundamental modification of the scheme.
They urge the Federal Government to mandate that participants serve within their home states or areas they are familiar with to minimize exposure to banditry on long-distance interstate routes.
The group also criticized the current approach to tackling banditry, advocating for a wider adoption of non-kinetic methods.
Ajayi noted that it is difficult to believe that convoys of armed youths on motorbikes can successfully reach their targets without being detected by security surveillance.
This failure, the group argues, suggests complicity at high levels of government and security, as well as among powerful figures within the affected communities.
Afenifere further called on the government to investigate illegal mining operations, suggesting a link between community attacks and the immediate arrival of miners once residents have been displaced.
Beyond Yorubaland, Afenifere expressed solidarity with other states facing similar crises, including Plateau, Benue, Niger, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group noted that traditional rulers in parts of Kwara have even been forced to desert their palaces due to incessant raids on markets, churches, mosques, and households.
As these horrendous incidents become more frequent, the group insists that the battle against terrorism has not been won and requires a more transparent and locally-focused security strategy to protect lives and property.
