The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation in the South-West, calling on both federal and state governments to step up efforts to tackle banditry and violent attacks across the region.
The group warned that the persistent attacks and kidnappings in several states have heightened fear among residents and threaten the safety of communities.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere said the Yoruba people were increasingly troubled by the frequent loss of lives resulting from violent crimes occurring almost daily in different parts of the country.
Ajayi described the treatment of kidnapped victims as inhumane, noting that abductees were often subjected to brutal assaults and degrading conditions while in captivity.
He cited several violent incidents in the South-West, including attacks on churches, police stations, homes and highways in Ondo State.
He also referred to reports of communities displaced by bandits in Kwara State, the killing of farmers and attacks on travellers along the Igbeti-Kisi road in the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State, as well as incidents of violent kidnappings in Ekiti State where victims were allegedly murdered and their bodies withheld while ransom was demanded.
Ajayi disclosed that kidnappers in some instances had made shocking demands while negotiating for ransom.
According to him, the criminals demanded N1.5m, Indian hemp, cocaine, a synthetic drug known as ice, and cartons of canned beer before agreeing to release the corpse of one of their victims.
He further revealed that the abductors also requested virgins as part of the conditions for the release of four men they had earlier kidnapped.
The Afenifere spokesman lamented that residential areas were no longer secure, stressing that attacks were now taking place even around people’s homes.
He cited a recent incident in Akure, Ondo State, where a couple was reportedly attacked outside their residence, with the husband shot while trying to stop the abduction of his wife.
Ajayi also highlighted other cases of violence across the country.
He recalled the abduction of the father of a former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State while he was on his way to church on March 1.
In another incident, a family of five was kidnapped in Erinmope-Ekiti at about 7pm while residents were observing evening prayers at a mosque.
He added that suspected bandits recently carried out house-to-house attacks in Kubwa, Abuja, where several residents were robbed and abducted.
According to him, similar attacks have been recorded in states such as Kwara, Plateau, Benue, Borno, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Katsina and Kaduna, while returning refugees from Cameroon were also reportedly attacked in Bauchi State.
Ajayi also recounted a case in Edo State involving a kidnapped medical doctor who later recognised his abductors when one of them brought his sick daughter to the hospital for treatment.
The doctor reportedly alerted the police after identifying the suspects, leading to their eventual arrest.
Ajayi said the incident illustrated the contradiction in the actions of the criminals, noting that while the kidnapper valued the life of his daughter enough to seek medical care, he showed no regard for the lives of others.
He emphasised that bandits were not invincible and could be defeated through decisive and coordinated actions by authorities.
The Afenifere spokesman called on the government to identify and block the financial channels sustaining criminal groups, noting that their funding sources could include wealthy collaborators, local and international sponsors, state actors, ransom payments and other illegal activities.
He stressed the importance of tracking and prosecuting sponsors of banditry, blocking access to weapons, dismantling hideouts in forests, and addressing corruption within security agencies.
Ajayi also urged the authorities to improve the welfare and motivation of security personnel and fast-track the establishment of state police to strengthen internal security.
The group commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting the creation of state police and urging the National Assembly to accelerate the constitutional amendments needed for its implementation.
It also applauded the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for setting up a committee to develop the framework for the proposed state police structure.
Afenifere further called on governors in the South-West to intensify efforts to combat banditry by dismantling criminal hideouts, strengthening surveillance in vulnerable communities and collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure the swift establishment of state police in their states.
