The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has called on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State and Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State to create state security outfits, like the Amotekun in the South-West, to combat attacks by bandits on the two states.
Gani Adams said such a security set-up would complement the federal security structure in the two states.
Speaking at the 2025 edition of the Kakanfo Festival in Ifo, Ogun State, Adams said such efforts would help to stop the incursion of bandits into the South-West region through the two states, which, according to him, appeared to be like security loopholes at the moment.
Adams stressed that if something was not done urgently to address the situation in the two states, it would degenerate to a level where it would negatively affect the economic nerves of the nation.
He noted that insecurity had now become a matter deserving the utmost urgent response from governments at all levels.
“The safety and security of Nigerians are fundamental to the prosperity, stability, and development of this nation. Without peace and security, our efforts towards economic growth, social cohesion, and democratic governance will continuously be severely undermined.
“Today, insecurity manifests in incidents of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes and the like. The recent attacks by suspected bandits in the Babanla area of Kwara State, leading to loss of lives, is a fresh reminder of the urgent need to put a stop to all shades of insecurity across the land,” he said.
He stressed the need “to urgently do something about what is happening in Kwara and Kogi states and parts of Ondo, Oyo and Ogun states,” highlighting the Igbomina area of Kwara, parts of the Oke-Ogun area, the Akoko area in Ondo, and some border towns in Niger State as flashpoints.
“We do not need to make too much noise on social media before we tackle the criminals in our environment. Security is about strategy, structure, and strength of your team that can meet the geographical spread of the area you want to secure.
“Security is about the level of sincerity and commitment of the team you are leading, and which you can trust to lay down their lives for Yorubaland. Security is not a job you can give to a stark illiterate. It is a job for someone with the intellectual capacity, who knows how to use modern equipment, who knows how to keep intel within the hierarchy of his group,” he added.
Adams, who is also the National Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress, said he was ready to lead his network of security stakeholders to assist with tackling insecurity in the South-West of the state governors were ready for such collaboration.
“We have written more than three letters to the authorities on the need for collaboration. If the governors are ready, we are equally ready. We cannot just intrude into the security framework of Yorubaland unless we have the clearance to do so; otherwise, we could be labelled as common criminals.
“With the South-West Security Stakeholders Group, we have the network and intelligence necessary to support the current security framework in the region to achieve the utmost result,” he noted.
