Afenifere urges South-West governors to arm Amotekun against kidnappers
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineThe pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has urged governors in the South-West to strengthen the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, with modern weapons and surveillance equipment to tackle rising cases of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The call followed a series of security incidents across the region, including the recent abduction of 10 travellers along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Road in Ogun State, whose kidnappers reportedly demanded a N25m ransom.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, expressed concern over the incidents, noting that the victims had eventually been rescued or released.
The organisation, however, said the recurring attacks remained a source of concern despite the successful rescue of the travellers.
“We are deeply saddened that these disheartening incidents are occurring at all, as they remind us that much still needs to be done to secure the people and ensure their safety,” it said.
To address the security challenges, Ajayi proposed a combination of structural, legal and operational measures, including equipping Amotekun personnel to match the firepower of armed criminals.
He said: “South-West governments should acquire modern, high-grade weapons for the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun so its personnel can match the firepower of armed criminals.
“Official security agencies and local outfits should be integrated and structured into tactical squads to effectively patrol ungoverned woodlands and forests.
“Governments should procure and deploy drones, modern communication gadgets and rapid-response systems to monitor forests and border areas.
“Full financial autonomy should be granted to local government councils to enable them to directly fund grassroots policing and maintain regular patrols in vulnerable rural communities.
“Mechanised farming and youth vocational programmes should be established to provide gainful employment and curb criminal recruitment.
Also Read:
- Seven UNN pharmacy graduates reportedly die at sign-out celebration
- Nigerian loses court battle against extradition to US over alleged wire fraud, others
- Kebbi supports displaced mother of triplets after bandit attack
- Afenifere urges South-West governors to arm Amotekun against kidnappers
- Speed Darlington begs Burna Boy to withdraw charges
“Strict judicial penalties must be enforced without compromise to deter banditry and violent crimes.
“Effective bottom-up reporting chains should be created so residents can immediately report suspicious movements to ward leaders, community heads, and security agencies.
“Obas, Baales, community leaders and security agencies must work proactively to coordinate neighbourhood watch groups, screen new arrivals in rural settlements and maintain local early-warning systems.”
Afenifere noted that one of the victims of the recent abduction was identified as Dapo, who had just completed his National Youth Service Corps scheme in Edo State.
It said the incident occurred weeks after prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan were abducted in Imo State on October 1, 2026.
The organisation also cited other attacks across the region, including the abduction of travellers at the Federal Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) along the Ibadan–Ijebu-Ode highway.
It said: “Similarly, the abduction at FRIN—which is also located along the Ibadan–Ijebu-Ode highway—followed a comparable incident at the same location just a few months prior.
“Other recent violent incidents cited in the statement include: the beheading of a farmer in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State; the kidnapping of Prince Michael Folarin in Igbeti, Oyo State; the abduction of a 33-year-old poultry farmer, Mr Ooreoluwa Osonuga, in Ogun State; the abduction of Honourable Debo Farounbi in Ora, Osun State and a string of ongoing kidnappings across parts of Kwara, Kogi, and Niger States.”
Ajayi said the security situation across Yorubaland required coordinated intervention by the Federal and state governments, security agencies and local communities.
He acknowledged existing regional security initiatives, including Operation Kosaye, launched by the Ogun and Lagos State governments, as well as security arrangements involving Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states.
He also referenced joint security meetings involving governors in the region, including the meeting held in Ibadan on November 25, 2025.
However, Afenifere maintained that the persistence of kidnapping and other violent crimes showed that existing interventions were insufficient.
“While these efforts are acknowledged, the fact that insecurity, particularly kidnapping, persists on our land suggests that current measures are not enough,” it added.
The organisation called for more focused and coordinated security operations involving government authorities, security agencies and communities across the South-West.
Afenifere also drew attention to concerns raised by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, over the growing number of out-of-school children and its implications for national security.
The Sultan had spoken on the issue during last Saturday’s Barewa Old Boys’ Association lecture in Gombe, warning that the number of children outside the education system in Northern Nigeria posed a serious threat to national security and development.
Afenifere recalled that the Sultan had also raised similar concerns on December 9, 2024, during the graduation ceremony of 1,897 Almajiri and 1,087 out-of-school adolescent girls at the Sultan Maccido Institute of Quranic and General Studies in Sokoto.
It said: “While speaking on the theme, ‘The Scourge of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria and the Implications for National Security and National Development,’ the Sultan echoed his earlier warning from December 9, 2024, at the graduation ceremony of 1,897 Almajiri and 1,087 out-of-school adolescent girls at the Sultan Maccido Institute of Quranic and General Studies in Sokoto.
“Represented on that occasion by the Ciroma of Sokoto, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, the Sultan had decried the neglect of young children under the Almajiri system, noting that their vulnerability makes them easy targets for criminal recruitment in exchange for food, and urged traditional rulers to take a stand against street begging.”
The organisation consequently urged governments at all levels to prioritise public education and introduce welfare programmes to remove children from the streets, arguing that such interventions would help cut off the recruitment channels used by bandits and other criminal groups.
[wpadcenter_ad id='745970' align='none']