Bandits’ influx: Afenifere, security experts demand S’West govs’ action

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere and some security experts, yesterday demanded action and coordination from Southwest governors as well as security agencies in order to tame the influx of bandits into the region. A retired army general, BM Shafa and Lieutenant Colonel Abdulwahab Ademola Lawal (rted) told Daily Trust that there’s a need for proper […]

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere and some security experts, yesterday demanded action and coordination from Southwest governors as well as security agencies in order to tame the influx of bandits into the region.

A retired army general, BM Shafa and Lieutenant Colonel Abdulwahab Ademola Lawal (rted) told Daily Trust that there’s a need for proper coordination and sharing of intelligence among the security agencies and local hunters if the rising challenge would be nipped in the bud.

Daily Trust reports that there have been concerns in the region following the alarm raised by the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde on Monday that bandits being dislodged from the North West of Nigeria are infiltrating his state.

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, had urged governors in the South West region to urgently address the growing security threats posed by bandits.

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Yesterday, spokesperson to one of the Afenifere factions, Jare Ajayi, in a statement issued in Ibadan, said Makinde’s comment should not be treated with levity going by the nature of the threats.

He called on all the governors to “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’,” he added.

Ajayi while urging security agencies and citizens not to take the issue of security lightly, added that traditional rulers and community leaders in different parts of Yorubaland should not keep quiet whenever they notice any indication suggestive of security threat.

Meanwhile, the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission has called for a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s security architecture to embrace the full decentralisation of policing.

The commission made this known while celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Western Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun.

According to Dr. Seye Oyeleye, DAWN Commission’s Director-General, the Amotekun model has proven that decentralised policing can effectively address community security needs while maintaining professional standards.