…urges governors to be vigilant
By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has called on governors in the six Southwest states to be vigilant and to put in place proper structures in securing the region.
Iba Adams, who made the call following the alarm raised by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state on the influx of bandits fleeing the military operations in the Northwest, said the alarm raised by the Oyo governor was real and needs urgent attention.
The Nation reports that Governor Makinde raised the alarm on Monday, during the 2025 annual inter- faith service in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Kehinde Aderemi in a statement issued on Tuesday, Iba Adams, urged the Southwest governors not to ignore the alarm raised by the Oyo State governor, insisting that insecurity has been a major issue in the country, with the Southwest region becoming a new target for bandits and kidnappers.
The Yoruba generalissimo stated further that he had raised similar alarm in the past, requesting the governors in the Southwest region to allow him work with the states security architectures in order to get rid of bandits and kidnappers across the region.
Adams said, “The alarm raised by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State was a wake- up call for all the governors in the Southwest. I raised similar alarm last year and nothing was done and it is sad that up to the present time nothing has really changed, except that insecurity is increasing by the day.
“Southwest Security Stakeholders Group (SSSG) including the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) Agbekoya Society, Vigilante Group of Nigeria,(VGN), Professional Hunters, Vigilante Jahun, Agbekoya Peace Movement, Agbekoya Solidarity Movement, COMSAIC, Isokan Ile Oodua, Egbe Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, Omo Oduduwa United and a few others under my leadership have been doing their very best in ensuring that the Southwest region is safe.
“But now that governor Makinde had raised the alarm, there is need for urgent approach in order to address the situation before it gets out of hand.
“Oyo State is the political capital of the Southwest region and anything that happened in the state, no doubt, has direct effect on the entire region.
“So, I urge all the governors in the Southwest to be vigilant and do the needful by addressing the security situation in their respective states before it is too late”.
Iba Adams, while restating the need for regional autonomy and state police warned that the SSSG will not allow bandits and kidnappers turned the Southwest to their footholds.
“We will resist any attempt to turn Yoruba land into bandits and kidnappers’ foothold”, Iba Adams said.
