Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is facing worsening attacks linked to banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, and the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere says the violence is being sustained by sabotage, corruption and the complicity of powerful interests.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 25 January 2026, Afenifere said repeated efforts to tackle insecurity often fail because some influential individuals and groups work against government programmes, including initiatives in electricity, water, energy, education, agriculture and security. Okay News reports that the group argued that this hidden resistance weakens the country’s ability to protect lives, attract investment and deliver basic services.
Afenifere, a prominent voice in Nigeria’s South-West where the Yoruba people are one of the country’s largest ethnic groups, said the continued spread of violent crime is undermining national development and public confidence. The statement was signed by the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi.
Ajayi said the pattern of violence has changed over time. He noted that attacks that were once mostly concentrated in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West regions are now being reported in other areas, including parts of Kogi State and Kwara State in Nigeria’s North-Central zone, as well as Osun State, Ekiti State, Ondo State, Oyo State and Ogun State in the South-West.
According to him, communities that previously felt relatively safe are increasingly affected, raising fears that insecurity is spreading into new corridors and creating fresh pressure on local economies and farming communities.
“This is why Afenifere continues to call attention to these challenges with a view to finding workable and enduring solutions,” Ajayi said.
The group also questioned the value of major public spending when citizens continue to face growing threats. Ajayi pointed to past efforts to improve electricity supply, keep oil refineries working and repair roads, alongside heavy ongoing expenditure on security and defence. He suggested that persistent problems, despite large investments, reinforce concerns that sabotage and mismanagement may be limiting the impact of government actions.
On the security response, Afenifere raised concerns about approaches that appear to reward attackers or encourage negotiations with bandits, particularly in some northern states. Ajayi argued that when criminals are offered incentives or treated as partners in dialogue without clear accountability, it can encourage more violence and weaken deterrence.
He also warned that some attacks may be driven by land grabbing and control of resources. In his view, certain armed groups, including some linked to herding networks, as well as foreign interests, may be seeking to take land or exploit natural resources without following legal processes. Ajayi said those involved can operate both at community level and through connections that reach national and international circles.
To reduce the violence, Afenifere proposed a mix of security reforms and community-based solutions. The group called for public re-orientation that places higher value on human life and rejects violence as normal.
It also urged de-radicalisation programmes and mentoring for vulnerable young people who may be at risk of recruitment into criminal networks. Ajayi said prevention matters because insecurity often thrives where communities are under pressure from poverty, unemployment and weak local protection.
Afenifere further recommended restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture, including better monitoring of ungoverned spaces where criminal groups can hide and operate. The group also called for improved training, motivation and equipment for security personnel, arguing that frontline officers need adequate support, welfare and tools to respond effectively.
One of its major proposals was the immediate creation of state and community policing structures staffed by local residents, while Nigeria’s constitution is amended to fully support such systems. The group argued that locally rooted policing can improve trust, speed up intelligence gathering and help security agencies understand terrain and community dynamics better.
Ajayi also referenced recent comments by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the senior official who coordinates national security strategy for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. He said Ribadu has affirmed the president’s commitment to expanding security deployments, improving intelligence coordination and conducting strong investigations into attacks on religious communities and other vulnerable groups.
The group concluded that for any new security push to succeed, Nigeria must strengthen intelligence gathering, remove saboteurs within security institutions, empower communities to report threats early, and place human dignity and safety at the centre of policy decisions.
