Prominent Yoruba leaders and professionals under the umbrella of the Omo Oduduwa Collective have called for an urgent, coordinated response to worsening insecurity across the South-West.
They warned that silence and political calculations among key stakeholders could further endanger lives, weaken public confidence, and undermine the region’s future.
The group urged governors, traditional rulers, lawmakers, academics, business leaders, religious organisations, labour unions, youth groups and other critical stakeholders to unite against the existential security threat confronting Yorubaland.
The position was contained in an open letter titled “Yorubaland Must Not Be Silent: Insecurity, Civic Responsibility, and the Imperative of Collective Action.”
The letter was signed by the group’s Convener, Prof. Akinyemi Onigbinde, alongside former presidential adviser Babafemi Ojudu, human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, Dr Adeolu Oyekan, a key member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Olasunkanmi Olapeju, Kazeem Olasupo, Samuel Arinloye, and Barrister Kayode Okenla.
The collective said incidents of kidnapping, violent attacks, criminal occupation of forests and assaults on travellers had become increasingly frequent across the region, disrupting farming, commerce and education while leaving many communities gripped by fear.
According to the group, the security challenge now extends beyond its immediate victims, with rural farmers abandoning farmlands, businesses facing uncertainty over transportation routes and families making major decisions under the weight of insecurity.
It said the increasing abduction of schoolchildren, students and other innocent citizens represents a direct assault on the region’s social order and future.
The group cited the recent abduction incident in Oyo State, noting that although the victims regained their freedom, the episode exposed growing public anxiety over safety and the capacity of institutions to protect citizens.
It warned that continued insecurity could gradually erode public trust in government and democratic institutions if decisive action is not taken.
The Omo Oduduwa collective also expressed concern about the absence of a united response by influential Yoruba institutions despite the worsening security situation.
It recalled that Yorubaland has historically been known for robust civic engagement, with traditional rulers, labour unions, professional bodies, student organisations, market associations, and civil society groups playing leading roles in shaping national discourse during critical moments.
It, however, lamented that such coordinated engagement has been largely absent in the face of the current security crisis.
“Against this historical backdrop, the relative quietness that has accompanied the present security crisis is difficult to ignore. While individual voices have spoken out and isolated interventions have occurred, the region has yet to witness the level of coordinated civic engagement that the scale of the challenge arguably requires,” it said.
The group attributed much of the silence to political considerations.
“For us as Omo Oduduwa Collective, we believe that the unhealthy silence in the face of existential danger is motivated in large part by politics.
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“We are currently witnessing a situation in which many stakeholders, either for personal or primordial reasons, consider it prudent to be indifferent to the dangers we face collectively on account of political calculations. We consider this approach short-termist and ultimately self-defeating.”
The collective maintained that demanding accountability from governments should never be mistaken for hostility.
“Keeping a Yoruba-led government on its toes, holding it accountable, and partnering with it where necessary to overcome pressing challenges is not an attack on the homefront. It is a sacred duty in defence of its gatepost,” it added.
Warning against complacency, the group said societies often decline gradually when citizens begin to accept insecurity as normal.
“History demonstrates that societies rarely experience institutional decline suddenly. More often, deterioration occurs gradually through the normalization of conditions that would once have been considered unacceptable.”
As part of its recommendations, the collective proposed the immediate convening of a Yoruba Security and Civic Renewal Summit involving governors, traditional rulers, lawmakers, security experts, academics, labour leaders, business executives, youth organisations, women’s groups and civil society organisations.
It said the proposed summit should develop practical strategies for regional security cooperation, strengthen intelligence sharing, improve collaboration with security agencies and promote sustained civic engagement on public safety.
The group also called for the establishment of a standing consultative mechanism on regional security and urged universities and research institutions to generate evidence-based policy recommendations capable of improving security governance.
It stressed that governors and legislators would play a critical role in ensuring that the summit’s resolutions are translated into laws and effectively implemented.
It noted that while Yorubaland possesses the human resources, institutions and cultural strength needed to confront insecurity, success would depend on courageous leadership, regional cooperation, and collective action.
“The security of communities, the well-being of families, the future of young people, and the continued prosperity of the region are matters that transcend partisan affiliations and political cycles. They demand a level of seriousness and collaboration equal to their importance.”
It urged all stakeholders to seize the moment, insisting that future generations would judge not only the challenges confronting the region but also the quality of leadership and collective action inspired by them.