The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed grave concern over the escalating security crisis in the south and across the country as it condemned the prolonged abduction of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Council Area of Oyo State.

The organisation expressed sympathy for families of abduction victims, urging relevant authorities to intensify efforts to secure the release of those in captivity.

With the Oriire kidnapping stretching to nearly 50 days, the group, during an emergency meeting held on Thursday at the country home of its national leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, deliberated on pressing national issues and raised alarm over alleged attacks on students of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) by army recruits.

During the meeting which was chaired by Oba Olu Falae, the organisation warned that such incidents represent a dangerous failure in the country’s security recruitment and training processes.

In a communiqué read by the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, the organisation commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for sending the State Police bill to the National Assembly but insisted that critical amendments are needed to prevent the proposed move from becoming a mere appendage of the federal government.

The communiqué read, “It’s about 50 days now since the incident in the Oriire local government area occurred. It is a big pity that the victims have not been rescued up till now. We feel highly disturbed that these innocent Nigerians are going through avoidable trauma. Actions must be expedited to get them out of the den of the bandits as quickly as possible.

Afenifere congratulated the federal government under President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for sending the bill on the establishment of state police to the National Assembly. The body also lauded the legislature for wanting to pass the bill expeditiously.

“However, there are some areas in the Bill that need to be reviewed. Areas that tend to make the proposed state police appendages of the federal government. In other words, there are clauses in the bill that tend to strengthen the stronghold of the federal government on state police rather than liberalising it.

Afenifere maintained that what the National Assembly and the State Legislatures need to do is to place policing on the Concurrent List.

“The meeting, for the umpteenth time, called on governors of the Yoruba states (including Kogi and Kwara) to take more decisive actions on insecurity that seems to be imperilling free movement in parts of Yorubaland, among others.

“The meeting received the news of the attacks on some hostels of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) with shock. We are shocked to learn that the attacks were allegedly carried out by army recruits from the Nigerian Army Depot, Osogbo, Osun State.

The group further stated that “the attacks resulted in robbing the students, manhandling some of them and inappropriately harassing some female students.

“It is gratifying to note that at least five of the recruits have been arrested as suspects. Afenifere is calling on the authorities to dig to the root of this incident with a view to ensuring that such a thing does not happen anywhere anymore.

“The body is highly disturbed in noting that this happened not from the notorious bandits that we have always heard about but from the hands of young Nigerians being trained to go and protect the citizens and defend their country.

“It is therefore very important to bring the heavy hands of the law on them, as they are likely to constitute a great danger to society. This incident also calls for proper rejigging of how candidates for positions in our security agencies are recruited and trained.

“The meeting reviewed what is going on on the political terrain as we approach the 2027 general elections and called on politicians and political players to go about their electioneering processes in a peaceful manner. It decried a situation in which thuggery occasioning losses of lives occurred. Afenifere warned that electioneering should be devoid of violence, thuggery and character assassination.

“The meeting took note of the efforts of the military and other security agencies on security issues in the land. It commended the gallantry of our soldiers and commiserated with the federal government, the military and families of gallant soldiers and other security officers who lost their lives or got wounded in the process of defending the nation. The body then recommended that:

“Security agencies be further strengthened with more equipment, morale boosting, enhancement of kinetic and non-kinetic security measures, etc.

“Government and security agencies, including the military, should look inward as insecurity continues to fester because there are internal collaborators. Such a searchlight should also be beamed on local communities, as there are collaborators among them as well. By the same token, sponsors of illegal mining should also be profiled, as there seem to be allegations that people are being forced out of their lands only for mining to take place in the area almost immediately after the people were displaced by bandits.

“Afenifere reiterated its position on restructuring. The body took note of the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to re-engineer Nigeria so that everyone would be proud of it. It commended Mr President on this and took note of the fact that some of the steps that his administration is taking are geared towards re-focusing Nigeria on the path of progress.

“We believe that restructuring will greatly assist and hasten the realisation of this noble objective; hence, our consistent advocacy for it. Thus, while we took note of the steps being taken by Mr President on restructuring, we are urging him to do more. (The Guardian)

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