Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, has alleged that terrorists have infiltrated about 40 local government areas across the south-west geopolitical zone.
Adams said he had repeatedly warned about the increasing presence of terrorists in the region over the past two years.
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, he disclosed that efforts had been made to collaborate with governors in the region, but the attempts yielded little response.
“We have 137 local government areas in the south-west, and we spotted not remnants of terrorists, but a lot of terrorists in no fewer than 40 local governments. We have many terrorists that have infiltrated those local government areas,” he said.
“We kept that document to ourselves because we were more confident that working with state governments, which are the institutions governing the states, would yield results compared to working with law enforcement agents.
“As a result, we called for collaboration with state governments for the past two years. This is a government that knows your antecedents, knows that you have a structure across Yorubaland, even beyond Yorubaland and in some northern states, yet refuses to talk to you, refuses to agree with you, or even assist you despite being in power and benefitting from security votes.
“Yet they didn’t call to discuss with you. So, you have to bear in mind that the only assistance you can give to Yoruba people is to talk to the media and give little information that some states have been infiltrated and that there would be attacks in those states, because you are not helping matters by divulging the entire information.”
Commenting on recent attempts by local hunters to rescue schoolchildren abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Adams said the hunters operate with limited resources and authority.
He added that all factions of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), alongside other security groups in the south-west, would work together to combat criminal activities in the region.
“All hands must be on deck to confront these criminals. You can have less potential and still know the criminals in your area. Security is not always about carrying sophisticated arms,” he said.
“You need intelligent people. You need people who can infiltrate enemy territories. You need multilingual people who can speak different languages and use that advantage to gather intelligence.
“You also need people with spiritual potential. You even need clerics who will pray for the success of your mission. So, the issue of security has different sectors. By combining those sectors, you can achieve victory against criminals.”
On May 15, armed men reportedly attacked schools and nearby communities in Oriire LGA of Oyo State, abducting pupils, students, and teachers.
The affected schools included Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A Primary School in Esin Ele, all located within the Ogbomoso axis.
Communities in Ondo State and other parts of the south-west have also witnessed repeated terrorist attacks in recent times.