Yoruba leaders, security experts and community organisations have renewed calls for the urgent creation of state police, decentralised intelligence gathering and the full empowerment of local security outfits such as Amotekun, warning that rising kidnapping and banditry now threaten the safety and economic survival of Yorubaland.
The calls were made on Monday, at the Security Stakeholders Summit on Yorubaland convened by Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, where he lamented the “growing helplessness” of government in the face of escalating violence.
“The fundamental duty of the government anywhere in the world is the protection of lives and property. Pitiably, this is not the case in the country today,” Adams said. “On the road, in the farm, in the market, even in the Federal Capital Territory, it seems terrorists and kidnappers have taken the battle to Nigerians and the Commander-in-Chief.”
Adams warned that the borders of Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo and Kogi States had become increasingly dangerous, with rampant kidnappings and killings of farmers and travellers. He described the situation as an “open insult” to the Yoruba people, stating that criminals now “invade Yorubaland at will, kidnap, rape and kill innocent citizens.”
He also renewed his long-standing demand for the restructuring of Nigeria and the devolution of policing powers to the states, arguing that the current centralised security architecture has failed.
“We must restructure this country and the time is now. Abuja should not breathe down the necks of all the 36 states. Governors are closer to the people and they know what their people need,” he said. “It is a shame that in the 21st century, policing in the world’s most populous black nation is still being controlled from the centre.”
Adams expressed strong support for state police, referencing the 2014 National Conference where delegates endorsed the idea. He said the Nigeria Police Force was “overwhelmed, overstressed and overused,” stressing that only locally rooted policing could restore safety.
“No policeman transferred from Zamfara to Lagos or Sokoto to Ogun will know the bad elements more than the locals,” he said. “Whether we like it or not, the National Assembly, governors and the President must support the creation of state police now.”
He also linked insecurity to Nigeria’s worsening food crisis, citing the situation in Benue State where farmers are being driven from their land.
The conference themed “Towards a United Front Against Insecurity in Yoruba land” comes amid worsening insecurity in the country which has gained attention of the international community, including Washington, Where President Donald Trump has redesignated Nigeria as “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian genocide.
Kila: Insecurity is a cultural and economic threat to Yorubaland
In his lecture, Anthony Kila, professor of strategy and development, described insecurity as both a physical and cultural threat, warning that Yorubaland could become a major flashpoint if proactive steps are not taken.
“When Yoruba people begin to bar their gates earlier and shorten their greetings, it signals that we are under threat,” Kila said. “Insecurity does not flourish because the Yoruba lack courage. It persists because our systems are broken and our core values have been forsaken.”
He warned that insecurity acts like a “malicious tenant” that gradually takes over entire communities if not decisively confronted.
Kila outlined a multi-layered strategy for combating insecurity, anchored on: Community-based intelligence networks, full professionalisation and expansion of Amotekun, state police and decentralised command structures, dedicated highway and farm security task forces, drone surveillance and CCTV integration, youth employment, vocational centres and creative industries and deployment of retired security officers as advisers.
Oseni: Kidnapping and banditry are organised, profitable criminal enterprises
Delivering the second lecture, Abiodun Ramon Oseni, a security analyst and US Army veteran, examined the structure, history and evolution of kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria, warning that it is no longer a random crime but a highly organised and profitable criminal system.
“Banditry in Nigeria includes kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape, cattle-rustling and resource exploitation,” Oseni explained, adding that it is largely driven by armed groups seeking profit through ransom and extortion.
He traced the roots of modern banditry to post-civil war instability and poor demobilisation of fighters, noting that criminals today operate from vast forests using motorbikes for fast raids and escape.
“Typical attacks can involve as many as 200 motorbikes, each with two armed bandits and space for one abductee,” Oseni said.
He warned of the growing crime–terror nexus, noting that bandits now collaborate transactionally with terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP by exchanging arms, intelligence and training.
According to Oseni, kidnapping for ransom has become a major revenue stream, with Nigeria now ranked among the world’s worst hotspots alongside Venezuela, Mexico, Yemen and Syria.
He strongly criticised Nigeria’s over-reliance on military force, warning that short-term operations simply displace criminals across state borders.
He concluded that community policing, integrated intelligence systems and coordinated inter-state security strategies offer the best long-term solution.
The summit, which was attended by prominent Yoruba groups, including Agbekoya Society, Oodua Warrior, Yoruba People’s Congress among others, ended with the consensus that Nigeria’s centralised security model is no longer sustainable, and that failure to decentralise policing and intelligence would deepen food insecurity, economic decline and social instability.
