TERRORISTS and bandits in the North are feeling the heat gravely as the Nigerian military intensifies its onslaught on them. This is a welcome development as the attacks on the bandits and insurgents are constraining the activities of the felons who were hitherto literally having a field day in the region. However, this development is not without a flip-side as the battle-weary outlaws are said to be pouring into the South-West in their numbers with a view to gaining a foothold in the zone to commence their nefarious activities. Indeed, security operatives have reportedly nabbed suspected members of terror groups when and where they were undergoing training in Osun State! The Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly rounded up scores of these terrorists when they raided some parts of Ijesaland. And following the intelligence, a preemptive raid of many parts of the state was carried out and some illegal immigrants were arrested. And many of the foreigners arrested were said to possess no valid residential permit and could not explain beyond reasonable doubt their stay and mission in the country and the state. Also, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, during the 2025 annual interfaith service which took place in Ibadan, had raised the alarm that terrorists fleeing from military bombardment in the North were relocating to the state and other states in the South-West and building camps in the forests. Thus, the threat of discreet invasion of the South-West by terrorists is veritable with Oyo and Osun forests already playing hosts to the outlaws. It should be noted that both Ekiti and Ondo states have, to some degree, been incessantly impacted by the spillover of the activities of these criminals in Kogi State as a result of their proximity to the North Central state.

The threat of terrorists invading the South-West forests has always been palpable but there would appear to be an uptick because of the improving military success against the criminals in the North. Nonetheless, the swift reaction of critical stakeholders in the zone to the threat this time around is somewhat reassuring. The governor of Oyo State confirmed that when he was in one of the farm settlements in the Oke-Ogun area of the state, intelligence indicated that terrorists were just two kilometers away from where he was! However, he vowed that the criminals would be tackled head-on and smoked out of the forests in the state. Also, speaking on behalf of the government on the influx of bandits and terrorists into the state, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, confirmed the arrest of 100 foreigners in the state. He claimed that the Osun State government had always been proactive about security issues and that this was what led to the arrest of suspected terrorists in Ilesa. He also gave assurances that the Amotekun corps was being rejigged by the government in order to make it more effective.

Indeed, all the governors in the South-West are known to be acting in unison and strategising against the security threats posed by the terrorists so that they are not caught napping this time around. This is the way it should be but we charge these heads of subnational governments to match their tough talk with action. They should also cooperate with all other relevant stakeholders like sociocultural groups, non-governmental organisations that are willing to help in staving off the criminals from the geopolitical zone. For instance, the South-West Security Stakeholders Group (SSSG), an amalgam of sociocultural groups in the zone, has specifically requested the six governors in the zone to consider partnering with it to secure the forests in the zone. The governors are urged to consider this request favourably, provided the group will abide by the specified rules of engagement, which of course must be in consonance with the extant laws of the land. SSSG is populated by indigenous people who are familiar with the terrain and capable of beating the terrorists to their game in the forest. A combination of well-armed Amotekun corps and operatives of the SSSG holds a promise to rid the South-West forests of criminals and we urge the political leaderships in the zone to begin to look in this direction for a solution to the threat of bandits and terrorists in the zone.

The six governors must be up and doing, as it is axiomatic that security is the raison d?etre of the state. And everyone that could be of help must be enlisted in the critical campaign against terrorism. Traditional rulers, in particular, have critical roles to play and they must be brought on board without further delay. People, especially in the local communities, should be watchful and report strangers or strange movements in their localities to their traditional rulers and/or law enforcement agencies. Indeed, it has become imperative to reactivate neighbourhood watch and emphasise the fact that security is everyone?s business. We urge states where anti-open grazing laws exist to summon the courage to enforce the laws to the letter while the governors should support Amotekun and other security agencies much more than they are currently doing. Amotekun, in particular, should be empowered to bear firearms that will enable it to confront the terrorists without the fear of being overpowered by the superior weaponry of the non-state actors.

Yes, the governors are not in a position to arm the security outfit beyond what the statutes dictate but there is nothing wrong in negotiating with or requesting the Federal Government to grant a special dispensation in this regard, especially against the backdrop of the dire security situation in the land today. And more importantly, state police should be fast-tracked. It beggars belief that the federal and the state governments are still dilly-dallying over an institution that promises to rein in insecurity in the land quite significantly. And as has been the case, the South-West governments should continue to be in the forefront championing the cause of the birth of state police. As the military is ramping up its campaign against the criminal elements in the North, the temptation for the survivors to want to run to relatively calm locations is real, but it is the duty of the leadership to let them know in no unmistakable terms that they will not find comfort in the South-West forests, especially if they are yet to turn over a new leaf. It is hoped that the apprehension of scores of trainee terrorists in Osun State will serve as a warning about what to expect and much more in the South-West if and when the outlaws from the north make the bad decision to come down South. (Nigerian Tribune Editorial)

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