The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade 1, has expressed deep concern over the rising wave of insecurity across the South West region and parts of Kwara and Kogi states, urging both the federal and state governments to take immediate and coordinated action.

Director of Culture and Public Relations at the palace, Ademola Adeniyi (Kukulaja), in the statement, said the monarch described the situation as alarming and a growing threat to lives and livelihoods in affected communities.

According to the monarch, the increasing frequency and pattern of attacks have created serious fear, especially in rural and farming areas where residents are more exposed.

The Alaafin stressed that the situation now requires stronger security reinforcement, improved coordination among agencies, and a rapid scale-up of response efforts in vulnerable locations.

He, therefore, called for the deployment of more security personnel to troubled areas, improved intelligence gathering, and real-time information sharing among relevant authorities, emphasising the need for consistent and decisive operations to prevent further attacks.

The monarch further highlighted the importance of working closely with local communities, noting that traditional institutions play a key role in intelligence gathering, community mobilisation, and conflict prevention.

The Alaafin, as part of efforts to address the situation, directed the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, to begin wide consultations with traditional rulers, community leaders, and other key stakeholders across the affected areas.

He described the move as urgent and time-sensitive, while stressing that all actions must remain within the Constitution and support lawful security operations.

MEANWHILE, a national leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Adesina Akinpelu, has urged the Alaafin of Oyo to prioritise the unification of factions within the OPC as a pre-requisite for effectively tackling insecurity across Yorubaland.

Akinpelu made the call in Ibadan yesterday, while reacting to the monarch’s recent directive to Aare Ona Kakanfo, Gani Adams, urging him to intensify efforts at strengthening community-based policing in the region.

He said that expecting a single individual to shoulder the responsibility of securing the region was unrealistic, stressing that internal divisions within the OPC must first be addressed.

“One tree cannot make a forest,” he said, noting that the absence of unity among the various factions of the organisation has weakened its capacity to contribute meaningfully to regional security.

He recalled that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, had earlier called for the harmonisation of the different OPC factions to strengthen collective efforts at addressing insecurity in Yorubaland.

According to Akinpelu, while some factions have shown willingness to embrace unity, the group, led by Adams, has yet to align with the harmonisation process.

He, therefore, urged the Alaafin to take proactive steps toward reconciling the factions, insisting that a united OPC would be better positioned to support community policing initiatives and collaborate effectively with formal security agencies.

Akinpelu maintained that addressing such challenges requires a coordinated and inclusive approach, anchored on unity among key socio-cultural groups and strengthened collaboration with traditional institutions and security agencies.