Attacks on Army troops, killing of family members in Ondo, Kwara, Niger, others worrisome - Afenifere

Attacks on Army troops, killing of family members in Ondo, Kwara, Niger,  others worrisome - Afenifere

.calls on military to enhance drones to intercept bikes moving in groups

By Our Reporter

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has expressed deep worry on the killing of Army personnel during an attack on the military base, Benisheikh, Borno State on Thursday, as well as the attack on a poultry farm in Ondo State, killings and abductions in Plateau, Kwara, Niger and Kaduna states, among others.

Afenifere expressed this deep concern in a press statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, copy of which was made available to newsmen on Saturday.

The pan- Yoruba socio-political organization pointed out that 

insecurity in the country had increased due to a number of factors, including internal sabotage and complicity among security agencies, complicity between bandits and some locals in given communities, among others and, therefore, the need for authorities concerned to beam a lot of searchlight on their internal mechanism to curb the menace.

Afenifere, while condemning the developments recalled that the Commanding Officer of Bnisheikh military base, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, was killed on Thursday morning, as it equally sadly noted that military bases in Pulka and Munguno, Plateau State were attacked. In a similar vein.

Besides, it also recalled that a poultry farm in Igushi Ala, Akure North Local Government Area, Ondo State was attacked with the poultry farmer and her daughter killed while three workers, including the farmer’s sister were abducted by their attackers. 

According to Afenifere, these sad incidents mirrored what happened in Vole community in Bokkos local government area, Plateau State and in some communities in Kwara and Niger states, all happening around the same time.

This was just as the pan- Yoruba socio-political organization equally recalled that a few weeks ago, some kidnappers attacked Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan and abducted five people who came from Abeokuta, Ogun State, saying that rustlers and bankdits’ attacks also took place in Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa areas of Oyo State.

"Attacks on Benue, Katsina and Plateau, etc are raising so much concern leading to President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State last week," Afenifere said.

Speaking further, Afenifere spokesperson, Ajayi further submitted other factors that brought about increased insecurity in Nigeria, include possible sponsorship by foreign interests who set their eyes on Nigeria’s mineral resources as well as possible complicity by political actors.

"For instance, as far back as May, 2025, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum had, in a television interview, declared that: 'We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian Armed Forces, within the politicians, and within the communities… Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness. We need not politicise insecurity.'

"The current Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa too, then in his capacity as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) disclosed that some military personnel have been betraying the Army by leaking vital information to bandits.

"He spoke during his visit to Yetwata in Benue State in June 2025 following the massacre of many people and burning of houses in the communities around that area. 

"He had said: 'If you see the pattern of killings and slaughtering, it means there is an insider. As we were going round, it became obvious that the killing and burnings were targeted…..,'" Ajayi stated.

"The authorities concerned should beam a lot of searchlight on their internal mechanism and the elements listed above viz: internal sabotage and complicity among security agencies, collusion between badits and some locals in given communities, foreign interests who set their eyes on Nigeria’s mineral resources as well as some possible unscruplous political actors," he added.

He buttressed his point by pointing to the patterns of several attacks that had been taken place, saying that reports always have it that bandits usually move into their targets on motorbikes.

Ajayi said there wre reasons for security agencies to intercept them "since these cyclists are always armed, dressed in a manner that easily shows them as bandits and move in convoys."

He went further to state that drones and other sundry surveillance devices, including CCTV do not fail to spot these bandits moving in such convoys, noting, however, that"the problem have always been the use to which information so gathered were put."

"Going by the ease with which these bandits carry out their evil acts often without challenge, it means that they have informants, protectors and sponsors among the elements or agents that should tackle them. 

"How terrorists struck in the government secondary, Maga, Kebbi State a few hours after the military withdrew from the school as it also happened in Woro in Kwara State could be referenced here.

“Thus, it is high time that greater self-examination is done and necessary steps taken if the war against insecurity in Nigeria is to be won," he said.

Afenifere spokesperson added that as part of the measures that can also be taken even before State Police takes off, suspected backers of bandits can be persuaded to encourage their protégés to submit their weapons as occurred during the administration of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, while appropriate sanctions as prescribed by law can be then be invoked on them.