THE pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has condemned the escalating wave of terrorist attacks in South-West Nigeria and called on both federal and state authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the region from banditry.
The group expressed concern in a press statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, warning that the persistent attacks are causing widespread fear across several states in the region.
Ajayi said the Yoruba people are increasingly alarmed by the near-daily loss of lives, stressing that the activities of bandits and kidnappers have continued to erode the safety of communities.
He also drew attention to the brutal treatment often inflicted on kidnapped victims, noting the merciless beatings and humiliation suffered by abductees while in captivity.
Ajayi cited several incidents across the region, including attacks on churches, police stations, homes, and highways in Ondo State; sacked communities in Kwara State; the killing of farmers and assaults on travellers along the Igbeti–Kisi road in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State; as well as gruesome kidnappings in Ekiti State, where some victims were reportedly killed and their corpses held for ransom.
Speaking on the nature of ransom demands made by kidnappers, Ajayi said:
“The greatest demonstration of the heartlessness of these evil-doers was their demands of N1.5 million, Indian hemp, cocaine, a synthetic drug known as ICE, and cartons of canned beer for the release of a corpse in their captivity.
“The kidnappers even hilariously asked for virgins to be brought in exchange for four men that they had previously abducted.”
Ajayi stressed that homes are increasingly becoming unsafe for residents.
“Until recently, the home environment was considered a ‘safe haven’. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. A couple was attacked in front of their home in Akure, Ondo State, with the husband shot while trying to prevent his wife from being abducted,” he stated.
He also highlighted other attacks reported in different parts of the country.
“Elder Igwe, father of a former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, was abducted on his way to church on Sunday, 1 March. In Erinmope-Ekiti, a family of five was taken at 7 p.m., while people were at mosque for evening prayers.
“Bandits reportedly went from house to house in Kubwa, Abuja, this week, robbing and abducting residents,” he further noted.
Ajayi added that similar prolonged attacks have been reported in several states across the country, including Plateau State, Benue State, Borno State, Kebbi State, Nasarawa State, Niger State, Katsina State, and Kaduna State, while returning refugees from Cameroon have also reportedly fallen victim to attacks in Bauchi State.
He also cited a case in Edo State involving a kidnapped medical doctor.
The release disclosed, “When the daughter of one kidnapper fell ill, the doctor, on duty at the hospital, recognised the perpetrators and alerted the police, leading to their arrest.
“The point here is that the bandit values the life of his daughter by seeking medical care for her, yet saw nothing wrong in killing other people.”
Speaking on the broader fight against banditry and kidnapping, Ajayi stressed that criminal groups can be defeated.
“Bandits are neither spirits nor invincible.”
He urged authorities to cut off the sources of funding sustaining criminal groups, which he said include wealthy individuals, local and international organisations, some state actors, communities paying protection money or “harvest fees,” ransom payments from captives, and outright theft.
Highlighting the role of sponsors, he said:
“Confessions from apprehended and tried bandits revealed they had sponsors.
“Therefore, it is essential to pursue the sponsors and their intermediaries, block the sources of their funding and weapons, raid the bushes in which they hide, tackle corruption and sabotage within security forces, motivate personnel, and ensure the immediate establishment of state police.”
The group also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his push toward the establishment of state police, noting his call on the National Assembly of Nigeria to expedite constitutional amendments required for their implementation.
It further praised the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for inaugurating a committee to develop modalities for the deployment of state police.
Finally, the organisation urged governors in the South-West to take stronger security measures.
“Implement measures to raid bandit hideouts, maintain constant surveillance of vulnerable areas, and cooperate fully with the Federal Government to ensure the prompt establishment of state police in their states.”
The latest concerns raised by Afenifere come amid a growing pattern of violent attacks and kidnappings across South-West Nigeria in recent years, raising fears about the spread of banditry into a region historically considered relatively safer than other parts of the country.
In Ondo State, gunmen in June 2022 attacked worshippers at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, killing dozens of people and injuring many others in one of the deadliest assaults on a place of worship in the region.
Similarly, communities in the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State, particularly along the Igbeti–Kisi corridor, have repeatedly reported kidnappings of farmers and travellers, with armed groups reportedly operating from forest reserves that straddle state boundaries.
Residents say the attacks have forced many farmers to abandon their farmlands for fear of abduction. The ICIR also reported how armed men killed five forest guards at Old Oyo Park earlier this year.
Kidnapping incidents have also been recorded in Ekiti State and Osun State in recent years, including the abduction of schoolchildren, travellers, and traditional rulers along major highways.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.