Ayo Marvel 
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Saturday expressed concern over the wave of terror attacks in states bordering the South-West, warning that the development was heightening fears of bandits’ incursion into Yorubaland.
In a statement issued in Ibadan by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, the group described recent security breaches in parts of the region and neighbouring states as disturbing.
Afenifere cited repeated attacks in Kwara, Kogi and Niger states, as well as kidnapping incidents in Ondo, Ekiti and Oyo states, as troubling signs.
We reports that heavily armed bandits who invaded Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State last week reportedly killed nearly 200 people and abducted several others.
Within the same period, attacks were also recorded in neighbouring Kogi and Edo, as well as Niger, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna and Katsina states.
On Thursday, bandits struck in Edo and Oyo states, abducting several residents, including a junior secondary school girl at the Challenge area of Ibadan.
Reacting, Afenifere said the trend was alarming, particularly as kidnappings were increasingly occurring within urban centres.
The group said, “This is a very disturbing development as cases of abduction seem to be on the increase in Yorubaland.
“Incidents that occurred in places like Ondo, Ibadan, Kaduna etc, took place in the metropolis. Meaning that terror acts are no longer confined to rustic settings where government presence is thin, if at all.”
Ajayi noted that the Challenge area in Ibadan, where a schoolgirl was abducted, is located within the city.
“The challenge area is on the upper end of the Ring Road area of Ibadan on the way to Lagos. Meaning that the kidnapping spot was inside the town.
Abductions of school children and attacks on worshipping places like churches and mosques as well as markets were commonplace, especially in the Northern parts of the country. Kwara had been added to the league,” he said.
Ajayi recalled that the six South-West governors had met in Ibadan on November 24, 2025, where they resolved to strengthen regional security architecture.
“They planned to, among others, establish the South West Security Fund and perhaps monitoring centres for the purpose of tracking would-be terrorists. Only in the outgoing week, the Ogun State Government inaugurated closed-circuit television centres for the same purpose,” he said.
However, he argued that insecurity persisted not for lack of intelligence but due to failure to act on available information.
“It is, however, not debatable that banditry and terrorism are continuing not because there is no information on or about bandits and terrorists.
“Terrorism is becoming pervasive because even the information available is not being processed and used in the interest of the people,” Ajayi stated.
Citing the recent Kwara incident, he said, “For instance, the head of Woro village in Kaiama, Kwara State, Umar Salihu, said that a letter was written before his village was attacked. He promptly forwarded the letter to the higher authority. Yet, what happened still happened.”
He further alleged that some perpetrators were not being dealt with in accordance with the law.
“Thus, rather than dealing with them in line with the provision of the law, they are being pampered,” Ajayi added.
The group also criticised reported peace pacts with bandits in some northern states, arguing that such agreements had not deterred further attacks.
About the Author
Ademola Busayo 
Emmanuel Femi Adedayo 
