KEY POINTS

• Gani Adams says he can cut South West insecurity within six months if governors permit.
• His appeal followed a school attack in Oyo that left 46 pupils and teachers abducted.
• Leaders and analysts urged a stronger, intelligence-led Amotekun.

Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, says he has the capacity and the network to drive kidnappers out of the South West, and he wants the region’s governors to let him try. In a statement to governors and monarchs, Adams pledged to cut insecurity sharply within six months if they grant him backing. Moreover, he framed the worsening violence as a direct threat to the Yoruba people.

A six-month pledge from Gani Adams

Adams said his traditional title once required the holder to seek the Alaafin of Oyo’s approval before any campaign. Now, he argued, elected governors hold that authority as chief security officers of their states. Therefore, he asked them for permission and coordination before he moves against the gangs. “I can assure you that within six months, insecurity will reduce drastically across Southwest,” he said.

He also pointed to the forces he commands. Specifically, Adams said the Oodua Peoples Congress and 13 allied groups, including hunters, farmers and vigilante outfits, already have troops and logistics in place. However, Gani Adams stressed that coordination with the governors remains essential, since no single group can win the fight alone.

What triggered the alarm

The appeal followed a deadly attack in Oyo State. According to the report, gunmen raided two schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 39 pupils and students, including a two-year-old, along with seven teachers. One teacher died in the raid and the militants killed a second in captivity, while the victims remained in their hands a week later. Consequently, fear spread across the region, and several communities emptied as residents fled.

Adams said killings of traditional rulers had deepened the crisis. Indeed, he claimed gunmen shot three monarchs dead within four days across Ekiti and Kwara, calling the violence unprecedented in Yoruba history. The region’s sense of safety had already cracked in June 2022, when gunmen killed dozens at a church in Owo, Ondo State.

Calls to strengthen Amotekun

Other Yoruba leaders and security analysts echoed the concern, though many urged caution over force alone. The six South West governors created Amotekun in 2020 to tackle kidnapping and banditry. However, several leaders now argue that the outfit has lost focus and needs better funding, training and technology. Additionally, they called for forest surveillance, intelligence sharing across states and stronger protection for rural schools. Analysts said the attackers increasingly use technology and careful planning, so the region needs early-warning systems to match them.

Analysts also warned about sleeper cells, operatives who settle quietly in communities for years before they strike. Meanwhile, state governments in Ogun and Ekiti said they had stepped up forest patrols, school assessments and joint operations with federal agencies. Together, the voices pointed to one conclusion, since the South West can no longer assume that distance keeps it safe.