Gani Adams has raised fresh concerns over the growing presence of terrorists in the South-West, revealing that no fewer than 40 local government areas in the region have been infiltrated.
Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, disclosed this in an interview with The Punch, noting that he had repeatedly sounded the alarm over the past two years about the influx of terrorists into the region.
According to him, the South-West has 137 local government areas, with a significant number already affected by the activities of criminal elements.
“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,” he said.
He lamented the lack of collaboration from state governments despite efforts by his office to work with authorities to tackle the security threat.
Adams explained that his group had opted to withhold sensitive intelligence, believing that cooperation with state governments would yield better results than engaging law enforcement agencies directly.
Speaking on recent attacks in Oyo State, particularly in Oriire Local Government Area, he noted that local hunters who attempted to confront kidnappers lacked sufficient capacity to deal with the threat.
He, however, called for a united front among security stakeholders, including members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), to combat criminal activities across the region.
“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,” Adams stated.
He outlined key strategies needed to tackle terrorism, including intelligence gathering, infiltration of criminal networks, and the use of individuals with diverse linguistic abilities to aid operations.
Adams also stressed the importance of spiritual support, calling for the involvement of clerics to pray for the success of security efforts.
“You need intelligent people who can infiltrate enemy territories. You need multilingual people who can gather intelligence. You also need people with spiritual potential,” he added.
The remarks come amid rising insecurity in parts of the South-West, with recent attacks on schools and communities in the Ogbomoso axis of Oyo State leading to the abduction of pupils, students and teachers.
There have also been repeated attacks in Ondo State, further heightening concerns over the spread of terrorism in the region.
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