•Oyo, Osun, others mobilise against influx of insurgents, as Afenifere suggests way forward
By Oluseye Ojo (Ibadan), and Lateef Dada (Osogbo)
Banditry, once confined to the hinterlands and northern regions of Nigeria, is now showing an alarming propensity to encroach upon the South West.
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Research has shown that banditry was initially underpinned by root causes, such as poverty, unemployment, and political disenfranchisement, often flourishing in the North.
However, over recent years, it has acquired a more sinister nature, characterised by armed groups, using violence to instil fear and disrupt livelihoods. The recent attacks by bandits in Kwara State has attracted attention and raised concerns. Banditry has now crept into that part of the North Central; in the past and in recent times, Benue and Plateau States have been hit very hard by bandits.
As gathered, the memory of the terror attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo Ondo State, on the 5th of June 2022, which left scores of people dead and many others injured, is still fresh in the memories of South West people.
Though security measures have been marshalled against the bandits, there are ripples of concern that dislodged bandits from Kwara State could infiltrate and compromise the security of the six South West states of Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti.
Kwara is one of the gateway states between the North Central and the South West. The growing menace, as gathered, could threaten both local economies, and communal harmony apart from security. The network of bandits, it was argued, appears to be persistent and usually find refuge in the vast terrains between states.
Critical stakeholders are now calling for collective efforts to combat the criminals from infiltrating the South West, as Kwara is making efforts to restore order.
The porous boundaries between states and an absence of coordinated security strategies were identified as parts of factors fostering an environment ripe for banditry to spill southward.
Kwara, with its strategic location, has become a hotbed for what stakeholders described as irresponsible elements moving into territories with weak security frameworks. A multifaceted approach, including aerial surveillance, ground offensives, and community engagement to effectively dismantle the criminal networks, are expected to be used by security agencies.
Investigation also revealed that the six states in the South West have been responding with a blend of policies aimed at containing the inroad of banditry.
Each state, it was gathered, is investing in bolstering their local policing units and enhancing their collaboration with military forces.
In Oyo State, which is bordered to the north by Kwara State, findings showed that there is constant fear in communities bordering Kwara State
Residents of the communities have apprehension that they might be caught between a rock and a hard place, due to the possibility of conflicts arising from the security action. But the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Security Matters, Mr Fatai Owoseni, a retired Commissioner of Police, told Saturday Sun that the state has been proactive in guarding against influx of bandits into the state.
His words: “We have been proactive, irrespective of whatever they are doing in Kwara State.
“The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2 Division of Nigerian Army with headquarters in Ibadan, has coverage up to Kwara. At different occasions, they have collaborated. And we have sustained what we called ‘Clearance Operations’ within that axis.
“So, if there is going to be any infiltration, I can say for sure that we have our own boundaries watched.
“Our own Clearance Operation within that axis, especially the Old Oyo Park, is not something that we do just once. It is done periodically and we sustain it. The frequency is not what I would want to say publicly. But I can tell you that we do it from time to time. We have been doing that for one to two years.
“Then, where we need to collaborate with Kwara, we have done that. The GOC, having the coverage in Oyo and Kwara States, where it becomes necessary to share information with them, we have bem doing that.
“So, I can say that within our own fringes, we have tried as much as possible to be proactive.”
Osun State Government, which borders Kwara to the North, has also allayed fear of residents over likely influx of bandits into the state from neighbouring Kwara State.
Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, told Saturday Sun that plans have been perfected to prevent intrusion of bandits into the state.
He said Osun is prepared and warned bandits not to invade the state, saying that the state government would not take it.
“We know that the Kwara State governor is doing something about it, and all the neighbouring states, which does not exclude us, we are not relenting in our oars to prevent such a criminal situation in our state.
“As soon as we get information or as soon as we saw the viral video, the security agencies in Osun State are working towards such an occurrence in the state and we are not going to allow that. “So, as I am speaking with you, we are taking a proactive measure to prevent a similar thing that happened in Kwara State and should never happen in our state by the special grace of God.”
In Ekiti State, which is bordered to the North by Kwara State, it was gathered that security architecture of the state has been beefed up around boundary communities for the six months. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Joseph Eribo, said recently that the command has deployed policemen to beef up security at the various entry points into the state towards preventing an influx of bandits.
Also, Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, said at different fora, that his administration would give security agencies in the state his 100 per cent support. In Lagos State, conversations have turned towards innovative solutions involving technological tools for surveillance and intelligence sharing in collaboration with security agencies.
Local security networks, like Amotekun Corps and Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) have assumed important roles in security in the South West through patrols and community-level intelligence gathering. The Amotekun, a regional security outfit, was formed by the government in the South West to enhance local safety. But the Lagos State Government has its own Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC).
They have re-affirmed their commitment to community policing and neighborhood watch strategies. The Aare-Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has said repeatedly that the OPC has capacity to flush out bandits in the South West within some months if the organisation has the backing of the governors in the region.
Meanwhile, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has renewed its call to the Federal Government to approve the creation of state police for a cohesive strategy against banditry and terrorism.
National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Mr. Jare Ajayi, when contacted, said: “We keep hearing the reports of increasing banditry in Kwara State, and some other parts of the country. Afenifere is not comfortable with it just like any other peace-loving Nigerian.
“We are using this opportunity to call on government generally, particularly in the South West, to remember one maxim in Yoruba that says: ‘Iku to n pa ojugba eni, owe nla lo n pa fun ni.’ (The death that kills one’s peer is communicating to one in proverbs). “We pray that the present level of relative peace in the South West would not be busted. “What is happening, particularly in Ogun State in respect of cultism, kidnapping and all that, are quite worrisome. We want it to be de-escalated. Of course, so much lies with the government and the people too.”
Ajayi, who noted that there is an existence of the South West Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, called on the governments in the six states in the zone to re-empower, reinforce, and boost the morale of the personnel in Amotekun.
He also made advocacy for increase in the number, and emoluments of Amotekun Corps. He also listed provision of equipment that the Amotekun Corps would need to secure the South West as a part of how the government could motivate the Amotekun Corps.
“Of course, at the larger level, the Federal Government too, should ensure immediate kick-off of state police, so that it would be easier for state governments to put in place all that is necessary to ensure effective policing at the state and local government levels,” Ajayi stated.
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