Afenifere Raises the Alarm over Escalating Terror in South-west, Neighbouring States

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed grave concern over persistent terrorist attacks in the South-west and the neighbouring states, warning that the development heightened fears of a full-scale incursion into Yorubaland.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, the organisation said repeated attacks in Kwara, Kogi, and Niger states, alongside recent kidnappings in Ondo, Ekiti, and Oyo states, presented a deeply troubling security trajectory.

Afenifere recalled that heavily armed bandits who invaded Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, the penultimate week, reportedly killed nearly 200 people and abducted several others.

In the same week, the organisation recalled that bandits launched further attacks in neighbouring Kogi and Edo states, as well as in Niger, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and Katsina states.

It recalled that last Thursday, bandits struck again in Edo and Oyo states, abducting several innocent citizens, including a junior secondary school girl at the Challenge area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

Describing the trend as alarming, Afenifere stated: “This is a very disturbing development as cases of abduction seem to be on the increase in Yorubaland. Incidents in Ondo, Ibadan, and Kaduna occurred in the metropolis. Meaning that terror acts are no longer confined to rustic settings where government presence is thin, if at all.”

The organisation noted that the abduction of the schoolgirl in Ibadan occurred in broad daylight, as her mother was dropping her off at school in the bustling Challenge area, situated at the upper end of Ring Road on the Lagos-bound axis of the city.

The incident, it stressed, underscored the reality that kidnappings are occurring within urban centres.

Afenifere further observed that abductions of schoolchildren and attacks on places of worship, churches, and mosques, as well as markets, had previously been prevalent in the northern parts of the country, adding that Kwara State now appeared to have joined the league of affected areas.

According to the group, recent reports also indicated that bandits had issued advance notices of attacks on some communities in Kwara State, suggesting that the serial sacking of villages, once largely associated with the North-East and Middle Belt, was spreading to new territories.

Ajayi, however, called on the governors of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos states, as well as their counterparts in Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta states, to urgently put in place robust security arrangements that would enable residents to “sleep with their two eyes closed.”

He recalled that the six South-west governors, at their meeting in Ibadan on November 24, 2025, resolved to strengthen regional security.

Among the measures proposed were establishing a South-West Security Fund (SWSF) and creating monitoring centres to track potential terrorist activity. Ajayi also noted that the Ogun State Government recently inaugurated closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring centres to further this objective.

The Afenifere spokesman maintained that the persistence of banditry and terrorism cannot be attributed to a lack of intelligence.

“It is, however, not debatable that banditry and terrorism are continuing, not because there is no information on or about bandits and terrorists.

“Terrorism is becoming pervasive because even the information available is not being processed and used in the interest of the people. Rather, it, in many cases, even serves the interest of those who are clearly ‘the enemies of the people!” the group said.

Citing specific instances, Ajayi referred to the testimony of the head of Woro village in Kaiama, Kwara State, Alhaji Umar Bio Salihu, who reportedly disclosed that a letter warning of an impending attack had been written and forwarded to higher authorities before his village was attacked, yet the assault still occurred.

He further alleged that, as attested by concerned individuals and groups, the identities of certain bandits and their sponsors were known. Still, those responsible for taking action “failed woefully,” sometimes allegedly colluding with criminal elements rather than acting in the public interest.

Ajayi also pointed to the example of some northern states, particularly Katsina, which entered into so-called “Peace Pacts” with bandits, saying that, despite such agreements, reports indicated that attacks continued in several communities.

He further criticised the role of certain prominent individuals who acted as intermediaries between governments and bandits.

“It is inconceivable that those with whom agreements are being signed could not be identified. Thus, rather than dealing with them in line with the provision of the law, they are being pampered.”