By Oluseye Ojo
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately assemble a community and stakeholders’ meeting to discuss and address the pressing issue of national insecurity
This suggestion was made as the organisation expressed great concern over the rising kidnapping cases, plaguing the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, in a statement on Sunday, highlighted the disturbing possibility that insiders might be involved in these kidnapping cases, pointing to individuals with prior connections to the victims as possible masterminds or collaborators.
The organisation called attention to the claim made by a former General Officer Commanding, Major General Ali-Keffi, who suggested that some unscrupulous security personnel might be involved as well.
It was stated that the recent incidents in Oyo State, Abuja, and Niger State further supported Afenifere’s concerns, as they seemed to indicate the involvement of insiders or conspirators in the heinous acts.
Afenifere spokesperson contended that the motives behind the acts might be driven by desires for hegemony and territorial control.
The organisation told Tinubu that it is time for his administration to take decisive action, emphasising the need to secure the lives and property of Nigerians in the face of the increasing threat.
Afenifere proposed urgent cluster meetings with communities to remind stakeholders of the risks and destructions caused by kidnapping, as well as the implementation of stiff penalties, including death, for those caught in such acts.
The organisation also stressed the importance of strengthening security agencies with additional personnel, equipment, remunerations, and incentives, in addition to the deployment of modern technology for surveillance purposes.
According to Afenifere, it is imperative for Tinubu to prioritise the establishment of a multi-level policing system, allowing states and local government areas the power to have their own police forces within their respective jurisdictions.
But Afenifere remained optimistic that a multi-level policing system, along with the remarkable achievements of the Amotekun Corps in the South West, could significantly curtail criminal activities, including abductions.
The organisation emphasised that such police forces must be operated by state actors to prevent possible abuse.
The statement read in part: “The tenor of the phenomenon suggests that insiders have a hand in it. By insiders, we mean people, who have a relationship one way or the other with kidnap victims. In other words, masterminds of this dastardly act, or their collaborators, could be family members, business associates or those with whom the victim has a social relationship.
“Some security experts have also suggested that some unscrupulous security personnel might be involved as attested to by a former General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Mechanized Division (Kaduna) of the Nigerian Army, Major General Ali-Keffi, in his recent letter to President Bola Tinubu
“Information has it that perpetrators of this heinous acts have informants who had or have something to do with the victims. A point that was also made by Mr. Nyesome Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, last week.
“But situations do occur where terrorists (in fake security uniforms) ambush travellers on highways such as the ones that happened on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kaduna highway, Ikere-Iju-Iwaraja Routes in Ekiti State and so on. Even where terrorists attack communities such as the ones that took place in Benue, Plateau, Borno, Niger, Sokoto, Nassarawa states among others, such were carried out by those who are familiar with residents of the communities involved. Otherwise, it would not be easy for outsiders to know how to navigate the territory.”
Citing the recent kidnap incidents in Otu, Saki and Okaka in Oke-ogun area of Oyo State, incessant abductions in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, sacking of communities in Niger State and so on, Afenifere spokesman asserted that there were indications that some of these incidents had signatures of insiders as conspirators or collaborators, if not masterminds.
“Also in places where Fulani herders wreaked havoc, it had been ascertained, through some dwellers in these communities, that such a thing was done by those who were having or intend to have access to the land of those who innocently harboured them. In other words, hegemony and territorial taking-over were the motives…
“Terrorists, bandits, and criminals of other hues took their inglorious activities in the country to a new dimension in the last 48 hours, wreaking mayhem in six states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Their deadly operations across five of the six geo-political zones of the country left no fewer than six persons dead; 60 persons kidnapped, a corpse stolen and goods worth millions of naira also stolen. The only zone not affected by the attacks was the South-South”
“The South West, hitherto considered as relatively safe, is now a theatre of the unfortunate situation as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Mr. Phillip Aivoji, and a few others were kidnapped at Ogere, Ogun State on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway last week Thursday when returning to Lagos.
“Early on Saturday, January 27th, gunmen attacked the residence of Chairman of Oyo State Tipper, Lorry and Quarry Park Management System, Alhaji Akeem Akintola, popularly known as KUSO at Ajiboye area, Omi Adio, Ibadan and whisked him away.
“Penultimate week, some unknown gunmen have struck along Akure-Ado Ekiti Expressway, abducting some passengers in two vehicles at Iju area of Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
“Over 30 people were reportedly killed in Plateau State last week Wednesday by gunmen who attacked Kwahaslalek village, Mangu Local Government Area of the state.
The statement urged President Tinubu to summon necessary political will to arrest this very ugly situation, saying: “Afenifere is sure that Tinubu-led government is capable of arresting the ugly phenomenon. This is why we have been suggesting the means to achieve this.”