Afenifere, the apex Yoruba socio-political organization, expressed concerns about the prevailing insecurity in the country and called upon President Bola Tinubu to take action by implementing an executive order to establish state and local government police forces.
The group’s spokesperson, Ajayi, highlighted the escalating incidents of banditry and kidnapping in several states, including Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Zamfara, and Niger, prompting the urgent need for enhanced security measures.
Despite President Tinubu’s previous initiatives, such as approving the procurement of digital tracking tools to combat criminal activities, Afenifere emphasized the necessity for the immediate implementation of state and local government police forces to address the security challenges effectively.
The group also stressed the importance of utilizing modern security technologies like closed-circuit television sets and drones to bolster security efforts while advocating for the expeditious establishment of these police forces through an executive order.
The organization also emphasized the importance of investigating the reasons behind kidnapping and banditry, attributing them to economic, political, and ideological factors.
According to the group, these three main motives have underlying layers and can often overlap with each other.
For example, the economic aspect of banditry may involve territorial disputes or individuals seeking to gain political power. The organization suggested that addressing these issues becomes more manageable when both the authorities and the local community are dedicated to resolving them.
