In response to the escalating wave of insecurity across the South-West region of Nigeria, the Yoruba Afenifere Youth Organisation of Nigeria (YAYON) has called on the Federal Government and state authorities to urgently establish a Joint Security Task Force. This initiative, the group insists, must consist of personnel drawn from the Police, Military, Department of State Services (DSS), Amotekun, Civil Defence, local hunters, and other relevant agencies to stem the tide of criminal activities endangering the region.
This demand was made at the conclusion of the South-West Security Summit, which took place on Tuesday at the House of Chiefs, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State. The summit brought together traditional rulers, farmers’ representatives, religious leaders, and security experts to address the worsening state of public safety.
Reading the communiqué, National President of YAYON, Eric Oluwole, emphasized that the summit was convened due to the alarming frequency of violent attacks, kidnapping, armed robbery, destruction of farmlands, and cross-border criminal infiltration. He decried the socio-economic toll of these challenges, warning that they threaten not only the safety of lives and property but also food security, investor confidence, and overall development in the region.
“The current security architecture is overstretched and under-equipped to handle the rising threat,” Oluwole stated. “This has allowed terrorists and armed groups displaced from other parts of Nigeria to infiltrate South-West forests and settlements, further destabilizing the region.”
The group also highlighted the influx of undocumented migrants from countries like Niger, Chad, and Mali, blaming Nigeria’s porous borders and weak immigration surveillance. They advocated the deployment of cutting-edge technologies—including drones, biometric scanners, CCTV, and surveillance drones—at strategic entry points.
Afenifere further proposed the establishment of a Southwest Security Stakeholders Committee made up of security agencies, traditional leaders, farmers, hunters, and civil society. This body would regularly assess threats and recommend proactive countermeasures.
Oluwole also stressed the importance of motivating security personnel, recommending enhanced welfare packages, timely payment of salaries, and provision of adequate equipment such as vehicles, communication tools, and protective gear. He also proposed the creation of a Southwest Strategic Security Fund supported through public-private partnerships to finance regional security logistics.
Additionally, the organisation proposed a Central Command and Communication Centre to facilitate intelligence sharing and swift emergency response.
Dignitaries at the summit included Obafemi Arowosola (Police Community Relations Committee, Zonal Chair), Victor Taiwo (Council of Yoruba Elders), Abdul-Raheem Adanigba (Chief Imam of Yorubaland), and Adewumi Abass (Chairman, South-West Farmers Association), who echoed concerns about increasing threats to rural livelihoods.
The communiqué closed with a reaffirmation of Afenifere’s commitment to collaborate with all tiers of government and the public to ensure the South-West remains a secure, prosperous, and livable region.
As insecurity continues to ravage parts of Nigeria, including the South-East, Middle Belt, and North-Central, security experts agree that regionally coordinated efforts, as advocated by Afenifere, may be critical to containing insurgency, armed banditry, and cross-border threats.