Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Self-determination groups in the South West have advocated for the establishment of State Police, saying that it would help to stem the tides of the escalating cases of kidnapping in the region.
The groups made this call during a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, with the theme “Western Nigeria Global Summit on Security and Livelihood.”
The participants at the summit stressed the urgent need for state governors and local government chairmen to be held accountable for the security of their respective territories.
They called on the leaders to be mandated to ensure the safety of their people, arguing that, as chief security officers of their regions, they should be held responsible for any insecurity in their areas.
Adewale Adeoye, one of the conveners, spoke about the challenges Nigerians face in a country where many live under constant threat of violence.
He said that while Nigerians have always desired to live on their own terms, they now face an overwhelming sense of despair due to the increasing insecurity, particularly in Yoruba land, which he described as having become a haven for terrorists.
Speaking also, Rasaq Olokooba said that the essence of self-determination is to ensure the security of the people.
He urged the federal government to empower and recognized local security outfits to help in protecting the citizens from external threats .
The lead convener of the meeting, Wale Oshun, underscored the region’s responsibility to protect its people.
He stated that one of the primary reasons for organizing the summit was the ongoing senseless killings in the region, which continue without abating.
Oshun revealed that security reports indicate the presence of 53 camps in South West forests where Fulani herdsmen engage in kidnapping.
He expressed concern over the growing scale of the problem, noting that over the past years, kidnappers collected N2.2 trillion in ransom, with a significant portion of this amount coming from victims in the South West.
He also pointed out that 77 percent of kidnapped victims are from rural areas, creating fear among farmers, who are now too afraid to go to their farms.
Oshun reiterated the importance of creating state police as a crucial step toward addressing insecurity in the region.
He emphasized that only policemen who are familiar with the local terrain could effectively tackle the issue.
The summit also heard from individuals like Prince Eniola Ojajuni, National President of the Afenifere National Youth Council, Deji Omotoyinbo, and Olatunde Hamzat, all of who shared personal experiences of being victims of kidnapping.
The meeting noted with concern that some security forces appear to collaborate with kidnappers, as evidenced by the proximity of military and police checkpoints to ransom collection sites, with authorities often feigning ignorance of the situation.
Furthermore, the summit observed that some Yoruba individuals may be complicit in aiding the Fulani herdsmen involved in these kidnappings, adding that another layer of complexity to the security crisis.