The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has called on governors in the southwest to take urgent and decisive action against the rising influx of bandits into the region.
This call was made in a statement issued by Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, in Ibadan, Oyo State, following revelations by Governor Seyi Makinde about bandit activities in the area.
Governor Makinde recently disclosed alarming security threats during a security briefing. He warned that bandits from the North-West, fleeing military operations in their zones, were relocating to Oyo State.
“During a security briefing this morning, I learned that some bad elements from the North-West are relocating here due to military heat in their zones,” Makinde stated.
Sharing a personal encounter, Makinde revealed that bandits camped dangerously close to his location during a quiet birthday retreat in December 2024 at Fashola, near Oyo Alaafin.
“During my birthday retreat in Fashola, bandits had camped less than two kilometres from where I was staying. This underscores the seriousness of the situation,” the governor said.
Reacting to these revelations, Afenifere described the situation as a serious threat to the security of the region. The group urged the six southwest governors to convene immediately and devise strategies to eliminate the bandit menace and prevent future infiltrations into Yorubaland.
In its statement, Afenifere stressed the importance of including key stakeholders in the security efforts.
“As a matter of urgency, hold a meeting to map out strategies to expel the bandits from the region and to ensure that such elements do not infiltrate Yorubaland at any time again.
“For these objectives to be achieved, there is the need to carry certain groups along. These are the security agencies that will implement whatever security decisions are reached, traditional rulers, and heads of local vigilantes known as ‘Ode,’” the statement read.
The organisation called on traditional rulers across the southwest not to remain silent on the issue, urging them to play a proactive role in securing their communities.
Ajayi also emphasised the importance of equipping security forces with modern tools and technology to combat the bandits effectively.
“The governors must include functional, up-to-date equipment in their strategies to combat the bandits and map out strategies to expel them from the region,” he said.
