The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has sounded the alarm over recent violent attacks targeting communities in Kwara and Kogi states. The organisation views these assaults as calculated efforts by expansionist factions, terrorists, and disruptive elements aiming to establish rival chiefdoms and threaten the nation’s cohesion.
In a statement released on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere extended condolences to the affected populations, highlighting the compounded tragedies including a fatal boat accident and severe flooding. Since its inception in 1998, Afenifere has been a vocal advocate for democracy, security, and effective governance, consistently raising concerns about terrorism, banditry, and conflicts between herders and farmers, especially in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and South-West regions.
The organisation emphasized that the recent attacks in Kwara and Kogi serve as a stark indication that terrorism in the North-Central zone remains a significant menace, not only to the South-West but to the entire country.
“The tactics employed by the assailants in Kwara surpass typical cases of kidnapping or disputes over grazing land,” the statement asserted. “The use of advanced weaponry, the boldness of their operations, and the extensive damage inflicted suggest backing from influential sponsors both domestically and internationally. There are also possible links to illicit mining and other underground networks.”
Afenifere strongly condemned the invasions that resulted in loss of lives, destruction of property, and disruption of economic activities. The group warned that individuals or entities supporting or financing these violent actors would inevitably face repercussions from the turmoil they help propagate.
“Those who aid, cooperate with, or fund these criminals must realize that no one is safe when a nation is thrown into chaos,” the organisation cautioned, drawing comparisons with the prolonged unrest in Syria and the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
Highlighting the enduring instability in Syria following years of civil war and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen exacerbated by ongoing conflict, Afenifere underscored the severe and lasting impact national destabilization can have on a country’s social fabric and development.
The group called on the Nigerian government and all relevant stakeholders to treat the security challenges with heightened seriousness and urged vigilance against both internal and external forces suspected of exacerbating the violence.