The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, alongside key players in the security sector, on Monday, faulted both federal and state authorities over what they described as a catastrophic failure to address Nigeria’s escalating insecurity.

Speaking at the Security Stakeholders Summit themed ‘Towards a United Front Against Insecurity in Yorubaland’, Adams warned that armed groups now invade Yoruba communities with alarming ease because governments have failed to take decisive action.

He urged South-West governors, traditional rulers, federal lawmakers, and President Bola Tinubu to intervene before the crisis becomes unbearable, describing the surge in kidnappings and killings in Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo and border communities in Kogi State as “unacceptable.”

“I find it difficult to comprehend this open insult that killers can invade Yorubaland at will to kidnap, rape, and kill our sons and daughters. What exactly is going on in our security and intelligence circle?” he asked.

Adams lamented that Nigeria now resembles a warzone where farmers, traders, and commuters, even in the Federal Capital Territory, live in fear.

He questioned how the nation’s economy can grow when citizens and investors have become “endangered species.”

Reaffirming long-standing calls for restructuring, Adams insisted that Nigeria cannot make meaningful progress without devolving policing powers to the states. The Nigeria Police Force, he argued, is overwhelmed, overstretched and overused; only state police can provide the grassroots intelligence required to curb banditry and terrorism.

“If California can be the world’s fifth-largest economy, some South-West states can become our own California if we restructure,” he said.

He expressed concern over unresolved killings of traditional rulers in Kwara, Ekiti and Ondo states, as well as the murder of a Babcock University law professor.

According to him, officers transferred from distant states cannot navigate the terrain or understand local criminal networks better than indigenous operatives.

Warning that strange elements have infiltrated South-West forests and may soon move into urban centres, Adams said: “My zeal to protect Yorubaland is being tested. Our silence is being mistaken for foolishness. The time to secure our people is now.”

While commending Amotekun for its efforts, he criticised its limited authority and inadequate equipment, insisting that only constitutional backing through state policing can make the outfit fully effective.

Delivering a lecture titled ‘Strategies for Combating Insecurity in Yorubaland’, Professor Anthony Kila likened insecurity to a malicious tenant who arrives uninvited, disrupts peace, and eventually attempts to take over the house. He stressed that the South-West must be treated as a potential flashpoint, adding that proactive border control is more effective than reacting after violence erupts.

Kila called for the rebuilding of community intelligence systems, noting that traditional Yoruba security structures began at the street level. He urged communities to strengthen vigilance networks and integrate them with traditional institutions, local governments, community bodies and security agencies.

He also advocated localisation of security operations, saying “the one who knows the terrain protects better than the outsider.” Kila recommended modern training for Amotekun, access to police databases, better welfare and insurance, and a clearer command structure. He urged the Kogi and Kwara governments to adopt similar models.

“State governors must see Amotekun not as a political ornament but as a strategic force. Lions fight with greater ferocity when led by lions,” he said.

A US Army veteran and security analyst, Abiodun Oseni, highlighted the broader drivers of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, weak institutions, ineffective law enforcement, political instability, and the proliferation of small arms, stressing that these root causes must be addressed.

The summit adopted several resolutions aimed at reshaping security governance in the region, including the implementation of compulsory, free, and quality pre-tertiary education nationwide and the immediate establishment of state police across the South-West, with recruitment strictly from indigenous populations.

Other resolutions include “hybrid policing model combining cultural intelligence with modern technologies such as drones, UAVs and remote surveillance.

“Creation of a global volunteer programme enabling Yoruba professionals in the diaspora to support specialised state police units.

“Establishment of a Security Welfare Fund under the DAWN Commission to provide non-partisan support for operatives.

“A total ban on open grazing in Yorubaland, with mandatory use of trucks and rail for cattle movement, and facilitation of cattle ranching backed by the Bank of Agriculture.

“Construction of protective walls and fences along Nigeria’s borders with Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin.

“Support for foreign assistance in tackling insurgency, provided Nigeria’s sovereignty is not compromised.

“A call for Yoruba youth to back existing counter-offensives against criminal groups.

“Appeals for South-West governors to collaborate with Yoruba-speaking communities in Kwara and Kogi on security issues.

“Solidarity with Middle Belt communities suffering what the summit described as genocidal attacks.

“Demand for the National Assembly to prioritise restructuring and devolution of powers. Constitutional empowerment of traditional rulers to improve intelligence gathering.

“Support for amendments to the 2022 Terrorism Act introducing the death penalty for kidnapping and related offences. Adoption of the summit as a regional rallying point for coordinated security action.” (Saturday Tribune)

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