The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has criticised governors in the South-West region, accusing them of ignoring his repeated warnings and security proposals despite growing cases of kidnapping and banditry.
Adams made the remarks while reacting to the recent attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where gunmen reportedly abducted pupils, students and teachers, with one teacher later said to have been killed.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, the Yoruba leader described the incident as tragic and warned that insecurity in the South-West could no longer be treated lightly.
“What happened in Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State a few days ago is very sad and highly condemnable,” Adams said.
According to him, although kidnapping incidents had occurred in different parts of the region in the past, the latest mass abduction signalled a dangerous escalation of criminal activities within Yorubaland.
“We have had a series of kidnappings in different states, but we have not witnessed mass kidnapping in Yorubaland, and that shows that the Yoruba race in the South-West must prepare for this issue of insecurity,” he stated.
Adams disclosed that he had earlier warned authorities about the alleged infiltration of criminal groups into several South-West states.
“Precisely, in November last year, I mentioned four states that these criminals had infiltrated. I mentioned Ondo State, Ekiti State, Osun State and Oyo State,” he said.
The Yoruba leader further claimed that he formally wrote to South-West governors, urging stronger collaboration with traditional institutions and socio-cultural groups to improve regional security, but received no response.
“I had written to the South-West governors that there is a need for collaboration on the issue of security; all hands must be on deck on these issues. But for the past two years, they have not replied to me,” Adams lamented.
He explained that several Yoruba organisations, beyond the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), were willing to support efforts aimed at tackling insecurity in the region.
“We held a world press conference on this issue about five months ago, that there is a need for the Aare Ona Kakanfo, through the Aare-in-Council and 14 different organisations, not only the Oodua People’s Congress, to collaborate with the government,” he added.
Adams also questioned why many stakeholders had remained silent despite the worsening security situation, stressing that some people unfairly blamed him for insecurity even though he had no constitutional control over security agencies.
The latest concerns follow last Friday’s attack on the Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly invaded schools and abducted staff members and pupils from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and LGEA Primary School.
