South West under siege of bandits, kidnappers

By Olusesan Laoye

The South West region of Nigeria has now become the latest centre of insecurity, with constant kidnapping incidents by terrorists and kidnappers, believed to be herders, demanding heavy ransoms from those abducted.

These Fulani herders are also constantly engaging farmers and locals in the region in fierce battles and conflicts over the destruction of farm produce.

Some of the recent happenings across the South West, especially in Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and the incident just witnessed in Oyo State, have heightened fears that the region, which has always been regarded as the safest and most peaceful, where people from the troubled North East, North West and North Central rush to for refuge and safety, is now becoming a shadow of its former self, where instability has crept in and where residents, including school children and workers, are now living and walking in fear of being attacked or kidnapped.

They are equally worried and helpless in defending themselves against bandits unleashing terror on them.

What made the insecurity situation more worrisome was the latest daylight incident in Oyo, where 47 children and their teachers were abducted, as well as the incident at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), where two workers were reportedly abducted.

These situations have actually heightened fears and put the entire region under serious tension, as other states are wary that such incidents could befall them in the same circumstances and dimension as that of Oyo.

Right now, residents, political and community leaders, traditional rulers, including security personnel, are worried about the mode of operation and the weapons the bandits carry, believed to be more sophisticated than those used by the nation’s security agencies to confront them. All these are regarded as alien to the peaceful people and environment of the South West.

A Clarion Call

The Oyo incident at Oriire Local Government, where 47 teachers and students were abducted, is not only giving the people of the state trauma, but also the entire South West and Nigeria as a whole. Nigerians at large have been wondering how such could happen in broad daylight between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., when the schools were just about to settle down, without the perpetrators being apprehended or intercepted.

It was argued that the operation was so coordinated that the perpetrators had a field day as they marched the students into the bush, where a mathematics teacher was allegedly tortured, humiliated and eventually beheaded, a situation that has generated anger and grief across Nigeria. This has been reported across the globe and described as barbaric, callous and pathetic.

The schools where the students fell victim are Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yewota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School, Ahoro Esinele.

With the Oyo incident, stakeholders believe this should serve as a wake-up call for South West leaders to move decisively to curtail future occurrences and find solutions to prevent it from becoming a recurring experience across the region.

It was noted, according to statistics, that over 10 schools and more than 1,000 school children have fallen victim across Nigeria within less than two years, including the recent incident in Oyo, making concerned citizens wonder why bandits are targeting innocent school children.

It was argued that this could be a strategy to hike ransom demands because the kidnappers believe quick actions would be taken to rescue the children, as they would gain sympathy from the government and wealthy Nigerians capable of contributing towards the rescue efforts.

Their method of attack has now made school children vulnerable, creating fear among pupils and their families.

However, there are increasing agitations for reinforcement of regional security and harmonisation of all security outfits capable of dealing with local security challenges as they affect regions, states and communities.

Government Response

As the situation becomes critical, Governor Seyi Makinde had no choice but to become the first governor in the South West to act on the earlier resolution of regional governors to intensify security efforts and integrate other security outfits to address the situation.

Last week, following public outcry over insecurity in the state, he issued Executive Order 001 of 2026 for the Regulation of Associations, Groups and Organisations Offering Security and Allied Services in Oyo State.

He said the move was necessary to ensure that all groups and associations involved in security-related activities, such as vigilante and community-based security groups, operate within a clear legal and operational framework that supports peace, order and the rule of law in the state.

Governor Makinde said the Executive Order became necessary in view of the growing security challenges confronting communities and the increasing number of groups engaging in security-related activities without proper coordination.

He argued that security remains a collective responsibility of both government and citizens, while explaining that the order was designed to ensure that all organisations involved in security and allied services are properly registered, documented and monitored by the state government.

The governor emphasised that people must avoid actions capable of triggering ethnic tension, while cautioning socio-cultural groups against narratives that could lead to ethnic profiling, discrimination or confrontation, stressing that the state government would not tolerate criminality under the guise of security operations.

Makinde also used the signing of the Executive Order to speak on the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, which necessitated the urgent order, assuring residents that the government, in collaboration with security agencies and stakeholders, is working tirelessly to secure the safety of school children in the state.

He also allayed fears generated by rumours and misleading videos circulating online, saying they did not reflect the true picture of the Oriire incident.

Framework for Security

Earlier, the Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Abiodun Aikomo, pointed out that all associations, groups and organisations offering security-related services with membership strength above five persons must notify and register with the government through the Office of the Special Adviser on Security within 72 hours of the signing of the Executive Order.

He said they must comply with directives regarding documentation and certification.

The Attorney-General stressed that the regulation would enable the government to identify and monitor individuals or groups carrying weapons or operating in security uniforms across the state.

He warned strongly that non-compliance with the Executive Order constitutes a violation of the law and would attract sanctions accordingly.

Before now, South West governors had made efforts to secure the region, leading to the establishment of the Amotekun Corps to complement the operations of conventional security agencies in the states.

Although their operations are interwoven, each state remains responsible for the welfare, logistics and operations of the outfit within its territory.

At a meeting held in Ibadan late last year, the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo approved a series of security and development measures aimed at strengthening regional safety, improving intelligence sharing and supporting ongoing national reforms.

In the communiqué issued after the meeting, the governors agreed to meet monthly and also approved the creation of the South West Security Trust Fund (SWSTF), to be domiciled in the DAWN Commission and managed by security advisers from the six states.

The governors also supported the establishment of a live digital intelligence-sharing system to coordinate threat alerts, incident reports, cargo and traveller monitoring, and rapid response across the region.

They argued that this would help tackle criminal hideouts and urged the Federal Government to deploy Forest Guards across the South West, with states providing personnel. They also commended the NSCDC, Amotekun, hunters and other agencies for ongoing surveillance efforts.

The governors further expressed concern over unregulated migration into the region, calling for tighter border monitoring and collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for improved data capture and identification.

However, in a recent interview following the attacks, the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Gani Adams, condemned the governors for what he described as a lack of political will and neglect of Amotekun and the OPC (Oodua People’s Congress), which he leads.

He also criticised the indifference of governors to repeated requests aimed at improving regional security.

The governors also condemned rising illegal mining activities and called for stronger licensing regulations, improved monitoring and stricter enforcement to address associated security and environmental risks.

They further reiterated the need for state police, insisting that “the time is now” and that state policing can no longer be delayed.