The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland (the traditional military head of the Yoruba people), Gani Adams, and the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) are currently locked in a public disagreement over the infiltration of terrorists in the South-West region of Nigeria.
The disagreement stemmed from intelligence warnings shared by local regional networks suggesting that cross-border bandits and insurgent splinters are establishing sleeper cells in the vast forests bordering the southwestern states.
Speaking to journalists, the Yorubaland military chief raised alarms over what he described as a calculated influx of armed herdsmen and suspected terrorists into the region’s outer corridors, particularly along the Oyo, Ogun, and Ondo state borders.
According to him, the infiltration of terrorists in the South West requires immediate regional vigilance, local intelligence gathering, and proactive deployment from federal troops.
He claimed that terrorists have infiltrated at least 40 local government areas across the region.
“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.
Adams revealed that his group had documented the development but chose not to make the information public immediately because they hoped to work directly with state governments to tackle the problem.
“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,” he stated.
The Yoruba leader, however, expressed disappointment over what he described as the refusal of governors in the region to engage with his organisation despite repeated warnings over the past two years.
“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,” Adams said.
“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,” he added.
Reacting to the recent abduction of pupils, teachers, and residents in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Adams said local hunters and vigilante groups may not possess sophisticated weapons but still have a critical role to play in combating insecurity.
According to him, all factions of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and other local security groups in the South-West are ready to collaborate against criminal elements.
“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,” Adams added.
His comments come days after gunmen attacked schools and surrounding communities in the Ogbomoso axis of Oyo State, abducting several pupils, students, and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A Primary School in Esin Ele.
Ondo State and several other communities in the South-West have also witnessed repeated attacks by suspected kidnappers and armed groups in recent months.
However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed speculation and media reports on the alleged infiltration or establishment of a permanent operational base within Nigeria’s South-West geopolitical zone by terrorists.
The military high command urged citizens to remain calm, clarifying that the recent mass abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State was an isolated criminal act rather than an indication of an entrenched terrorist network in the region.
Reacting to douse mounting tension, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, issued a definitive statement on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
The statement reads in part: “The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, on behalf of the Armed Forces of Nigeria extends his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims, the government and people of Oyo State, and the entire nation over the deeply painful and unconscionable attack on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele; and L.A. Primary School, all in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. General Oluyede describes the abduction of innocent children and staff as a callous and reprehensible act that strikes at the heart of every Nigerian, and assures grieving families that the full weight of the Armed Forces is being brought to bear to ensure the safe and unconditional return of every abducted victim. The Chief of Defence Staff further calls on all Nigerians to remain calm, united, and cooperate with security forces during this critical period of operations.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to categorically address recent media reports and public speculation suggesting that terrorist elements have established a permanent operational base within the South-West geo-political zone of Nigeria, particularly following the attack in Oyo State. It is pertinent to state that the incident was an isolated criminal act and does not reflect the existence of any entrenched terrorist structure in the region, as the Armed Forces had earlier conducted a comprehensive clearance operation of the Old Oyo National Park (OONP), effectively neutralizing the operational capacity of criminal elements within that corridor. Current intelligence assessments do not support the conclusion that any structured or permanent terrorist base exists within the forests or hinterlands of the South West region. Criminal elements, however audacious their recent activities, do not constitute an established insurgent presence, and the Defence Headquarters cautions against narratives that may cause unnecessary public panic or embolden adversaries by overstating their capabilities.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to assure all Nigerians, particularly residents of the South West, that their own troops are currently deployed and actively operating within the forest in pursuit of the perpetrators and in search of the abducted victims. Troops made contact with the criminal elements two days ago, have since reorganized, and are continuing the search and pursuit operations with full determination. Working in close coordination with relevant security agencies, the Armed Forces is conducting intensive joint operations across forest corridors and ungoverned spaces in the zone. The Armed Forces is equally engaging the local populace for human intelligence, recognizing that community cooperation remains an invaluable asset in the effort to recover the abducted victims safely and swiftly. The joint effort with all security agencies and local vigilantes will ensure that the forest is thoroughly cleared of criminal elements and that lasting peace is restored to the region. The Armed Forces of Nigeria will not relent until every abducted victim is safely recovered, the criminal networks responsible are dismantled, and normalcy is fully restored across the South West and indeed all of Nigeria.”
