The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed concern over escalating terrorist attacks and kidnappings in states bordering Nigeria’s South West, warning that the trend could facilitate the spread of banditry into Yorubaland.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, the group cited repeated attacks in Kwara State, Kogi State and Niger State, alongside recent abductions in Ondo State, Ekiti State and Oyo State.
The group recalled a recent attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, where nearly 200 people were reportedly killed and several others abducted.
Similar incidents were reported in neighbouring states, while kidnappers also struck in urban areas, including Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Afenifere described the development as disturbing, noting that abductions are no longer confined to remote areas but now occur within major towns and cities.
The group referenced the abduction of a junior secondary school girl in Ibadan’s Challenge area, which occurred in broad daylight.
The organisation also warned that bandits have issued notices of impending attacks on some communities, suggesting that the serial sacking of villages previously concentrated in the North East and Middle Belt is spreading.
Ajayi urged governors of South West states—Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos—as well as those of Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta, to urgently strengthen security frameworks to protect residents.
He recalled that South West governors agreed at a November 24, 2025 meeting in Ibadan to enhance regional security through initiatives such as a South West Security Fund and monitoring centres.
He also noted that the Ogun State government recently inaugurated CCTV monitoring centres to support security surveillance.
According to Afenifere, the persistence of terrorism is not due to lack of intelligence but failure to act on available information. The group cited reports that warnings were issued before attacks in Kwara communities but were not acted upon.
Ajayi called for immediate establishment of state police and strengthened community-based security arrangements, stressing that decisive action is required to ensure safety in the region.
“The problem is not lack of information, but the will to use it in the interest of the people,” he said, urging authorities to move beyond rhetoric and implement concrete security measures.
