The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has called on governors in the South-West to equip the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, with modern and sophisticated weapons to strengthen its capacity to confront kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups operating across the region.

The organisation made the demand following a series of kidnappings and violent attacks in parts of the South-West, including the recent abduction of 10 travellers along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Road in Ogun State.

In a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, expressed concern over the growing security challenges, particularly the abduction of the travellers whose captors reportedly demanded a ransom of ₦25 million.

Although the victims were eventually rescued or released, the organisation lamented that such incidents continued to threaten the safety of residents and commuters across the region.

To address the situation, Afenifere proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the region’s security arrangements, including the provision of modern weapons to Amotekun personnel to enable them to confront heavily armed criminal groups.

The organisation also called for the integration of conventional security agencies and local security outfits into coordinated tactical teams to improve patrols and surveillance across forests, rural settlements and other vulnerable locations.

It further recommended the deployment of surveillance drones, modern communication equipment and rapid-response systems to monitor forests and border communities where criminal groups are suspected of operating.

On grassroots security, Afenifere advocated full financial autonomy for local government councils, arguing that direct access to funds would enable them to finance community policing initiatives and maintain regular patrols in vulnerable rural areas.

The organisation also urged governments to introduce mechanised farming schemes and vocational training programmes to provide employment opportunities for young people and reduce their vulnerability to recruitment by criminal networks.

It called for strict enforcement of judicial penalties against kidnappers, bandits and other perpetrators of violent crimes, stressing the importance of an effective justice system in discouraging criminal activities.

Additionally, Afenifere proposed the establishment of effective community reporting channels through which residents could promptly alert ward leaders, traditional rulers and security agencies about suspicious movements.

It urged traditional rulers, including Obas and Baales, alongside community leaders and security agencies, to strengthen neighbourhood watch groups, monitor new arrivals in rural settlements and establish functional early-warning systems.

The organisation further identified several security incidents that have heightened concerns across the region, including the killing of a farmer in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, the abduction of Prince Michael Folarin in Igbeti, and the kidnapping of poultry farmer Ooreoluwa Osonuga in Ogun State.

It also mentioned the abduction of Honourable Debo Farounbi in Ora, Osun State, as well as continuing kidnapping incidents in parts of Kwara, Kogi and Niger states.

Afenifere acknowledged existing security initiatives, including Operation Kosaye, launched by the Ogun and Lagos state governments, and joint security arrangements involving Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states.

However, it maintained that the persistence of attacks despite these interventions showed that more coordinated and effective measures were required to protect communities across the region.

The organisation also highlighted the connection between educational deprivation, poverty and insecurity, referencing recent warnings by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, about the dangers posed by the growing number of out-of-school children.

According to Afenifere, vulnerable children and unemployed youths could become easy targets for criminal networks seeking to recruit new members.

It therefore called on governments at all levels to prioritise accessible quality education and welfare programmes capable of reducing the number of children living on the streets.

The group stressed that tackling insecurity in the South-West would require a combination of stronger security operations, modern surveillance technology, community participation, effective justice delivery and sustained investment in education and youth development.