Comrade Adeniran
The Yoruba for Democratic Values (YDV) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s open-door policy on security, but urged the administration to take decisive action to address the deteriorating security situation in Kwara State, which has become a hub for banditry and terrorist activities.
“President Tinubu’s willingness to allow stakeholders to contribute ideas towards solving Nigeria’s security challenges is commendable,” said Debo Adeniran, spokesperson for YDV.
“However, we note with concern that despite these consultations, the desired results remain elusive on the ground. We urge the administration to move swiftly from dialogue to decisive action,” he said
YDV expressed alarm over reports that bandits and terrorist elements are focusing their attacks on Kwara, using it as a launching pad to infiltrate other parts of the South West, including Ekiti, Ondo, and Oyo States.
“We call on President Tinubu, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to immediately redirect focus and military assets to Kwara State,” Adeniran said. “If the Kwara corridor is not secured, the entire Yoruba homeland remains vulnerable to penetration and occupation by these criminal elements.”
The group also congratulated President Tinubu on the recent positive ratings from the World Bank and other international financial institutions, but urged the administration to ensure that macroeconomic gains are translated into tangible relief for the common man.
“We are pleased to see that the President’s economic reforms are yielding results, but we urge him to ensure that the benefits of these reforms are felt by all Nigerians, especially the most vulnerable,” Adeniran said.
YDV also demanded massive recruitment of youths into the security sector, funding and arming of local vigilantes and Amotekun, and integration of traditional warfare methodology into modern security strategies.
“We urge the President to enlist at least 500,000 able-bodied youths into the various security outfits across the country,” Adeniran said. “Massively employing our youth in the security sector will not only bolster our defense but will also address unemployment and restiveness.”
The group called for the provision of modern firearms and sophisticated surveillance equipment, including drones, to local vigilantes and Amotekun, and urged the government to provide technical know-how for intelligence gathering to enable these local operatives to secure their respective domains effectively.
“We believe that a holistic approach to security, combining modern and traditional warfare methodologies, is the way forward,” Adeniran said. “We urge the government to convene a conference of individuals who can prove their prowess in traditional warfare to demonstrate their capabilities and integrate their methodologies with modern warfare techniques.”
