Afenifere Calls for Immediate Take-Off of State Police as Terror Threats Rise in Yorubaland

Afenifere Calls for Immediate Take-Off of State Police as Terror Threats Rise in Yorubaland

The pan‑Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere has warned that escalating terrorist attacks in states bordering the South-West are heightening fears of a full-scale incursion into Yorubaland, calling on governors to urgently implement robust security measures and push for the take-off of state police.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere expressed deep concern over repeated attacks in Kwara, Kogi, and Niger states, as well as kidnappings in Ondo, Ekiti, and Oyo states. The group cited the recent Woro and Nuku attacks in Kwara State, where nearly 200 people were reportedly killed and several others abducted, as a warning of the growing threat.

“This is a very disturbing development as cases of abduction seem to be on the increase in Yorubaland. Terror acts are no longer confined to rural areas; even cities like Ibadan have witnessed incidents,” the statement read. Afenifere highlighted the broad-daylight abduction of a schoolgirl in Ibadan’s Challenge area as a chilling example of the insecurity affecting urban centres.

Ajayi urged governors of the six South-West states — Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos — as well as neighbouring states including Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta, to implement practical security arrangements that will allow residents to “sleep with their two eyes closed.”

READ ALSO:

• CAF Confirms 2027 AFCON Dates, Reveals Host Cities, Stadiums Across East Africa
• Ronaldo Returns From Absence to Score in Al‑Nassr’s 2‑0 Win Over Al‑Fateh
• One Dead as Hausa, Benue Communities Clash at Port Harcourt Market

The group recalled that during a November 24, 2025, meeting in Ibadan, the South-West governors had agreed to strengthen regional security through measures such as the South-West Security Fund and the creation of monitoring centres to track potential terrorist activity. Afenifere noted that recent steps, such as Ogun State’s inauguration of CCTV monitoring centres, are commendable but insufficient.

Ajayi stressed that the persistence of banditry and terrorism is not due to a lack of intelligence, but rather the failure to effectively utilize available information. He insisted that state police should take off immediately, while communities must be empowered to develop local security arrangements, including support for the Amotekun Corps and other regional security initiatives.

“It is high time governors in Yorubaland went beyond sermonisation and swung into decisive actions that will make the region truly secure,” Ajayi said.

Afenifere’s warning comes amid growing concerns over security across southern Nigeria, where the spread of banditry, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks is increasingly threatening both rural and urban communities. The group’s call reinforces longstanding advocacy for state-level policing as a critical measure to combat rising insecurity.

Afenifere Calls for Immediate Take-Off of State Police as Terror Threats Rise in Yorubaland