Abuja / Ibadan — The pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere has sharply condemned the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Kwara and Kogi States, warning that the violence represents a deliberate effort to destabilize Nigeria and poses a direct threat to the South-West region.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere expressed “deep sympathy” with affected communities and asserted that the incursions go beyond ordinary banditry. The group argues that the sophistication of the weapons used, the daring nature of the raids, and the scale of destruction suggest powerful local and international backing.
Describing the security threat as an “attempt to carve out a state within a state,” Afenifere called on South-West governors to treat the attacks as a wake-up call. It urged them to work proactively to secure their states, particularly in light of what the organisation sees as a broader destabilisation agenda.
To counter the threat, Afenifere recommended several measures: overhauling intelligence-gathering systems, strengthening aerial and land surveillance, and accelerating the establishment of state police. It also called for better coordination with local security networks and traditional institutions.
The group further warned that sponsors of the terrorist groups — whether domestic or foreign — will ultimately not escape the fallout: “once a country is destabilised, no one is immune,” Ajayi stated, drawing parallels to other nations that have suffered sustained turmoil.
Afenifere’s intervention adds to growing pressure on the federal government to adopt more strategic, localized security solutions — especially as violence in the Middle Belt increasingly reverberates in the South-West, a region historically considered more stable.