By Adesakin Adefemi
Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has raised alarm over the presence of terrorists in no fewer than 40 local government areas across the South-West, warning that the region faces growing security threats.
Adams said his office has tracked the infiltration over the last two years and documented the spread across the 137 LGAs in the zone. He described the situation as involving “not remnants of terrorists, but a lot of terrorists” embedded in local communities.
Adams said efforts to collaborate with South-West governors on the issue had repeatedly failed despite his office’s reach and structure across Yorubaland and parts of the North. He accused some state governments of ignoring the warnings even though they receive security votes and are aware of his network on the ground.
“We kept that document to ourselves because we were more confident that working with state governments… would yield results compared to working with law enforcement agents,” he said. “Yet they didn’t call to discuss with you. So, the only assistance you can give to Yoruba people is to talk to the media and give little information.”
The Yoruba leader warned that without urgent collaboration, attacks could escalate in the affected areas. He said his limited option now was to alert the public through the media about states that have been infiltrated.
On recent kidnappings in Oriire LGA of Oyo State, Adams said local hunters have limited powers to confront the criminals. He called for a united front involving all factions of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and other South-West security groups to tackle the threat.
“All hands must be on deck to confront these criminals,” he said. “Security is not always about carrying sophisticated arms. You need intelligent people, multilingual operatives, and those who can infiltrate enemy territories to gather intelligence.”
Adams also stressed the role of spiritual and community actors in security efforts. He argued that combining intelligence, local knowledge, and prayer support could give security operations an edge against armed groups.
The warning comes after armed men attacked schools and communities in Oriire LGA on May 15, abducting pupils, students, and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Community Grammar School, and L.A Primary School in the Ogbomoso axis. Ondo communities have also faced repeated attacks in recent months.
Adams concluded that defeating the criminals would require pooling resources across different sectors of security, intelligence, and community mobilization. He urged state governments to engage with traditional security structures rather than sidelining them.
