The Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has once again called on the Federal Government to take a holistic view of intelligence gathering and indigenous intelligence mechanisms as a system for addressing insecurity, amid the urgent need to deploy technologies required to identify criminal suspects.

The monarch urged the government to abandon reactive approaches to insecurity and instead make credible investments in intelligence capabilities that pinpoint threats before they materialise, harden soft targets such as schools and communities, and cut off the financial and logistical networks that sustain criminal groups, while also working with communities to build trust and gather intelligence rather than treating them as collateral damage in airstrikes.

Alaafin made this known through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, following terrorist attacks and abductions in four villages that are Oyo homesteads.

The villages are Ahoro- Esinele, Alawusa, Yawota and Oniya, located within the Oriire Local Government of the state. The bandits attacked the Esinele School last Friday, as two individuals were killed, a car was burnt, and 42 pupils and a teacher were taken into the Old Oyo National Park Forest. The pupils were abducted from the four villages.

Oba Owoade said abductions and wanton destruction of lives by terrorists have not only reached an intolerable level, but Nigerians are also becoming more apprehensive and worried about the state of insecurity, especially flagrant disregard for human lives.

The country, he stated, “is going through serious security challenges, and what is more disturbing is that these blood guzzlers cannot have such sophisticated and destructive weapons to terrorise without receiving backing of some allies somewhere.

“Threats to human lives are not only serious acts of terrorism but indeed an abomination. This is why well-meaning Nigerians and good friends of the country must see the current war against the dreaded terrorists as a welcome development and give total support, in order to save the country from the siege of terrorism.

“Citizens are fast losing trust in their government’s ability to protect them, and inter-communal trust breaks down. The constant threat of violence, kidnapping, and attacks leaves a generation of citizens with lasting psychological trauma, anxiety, and mental health. Insecurity directly threatens the political integrity and governance of a nation.

“The ultimate solution is more political than it is military. Government, political leaders and followers, and all of us, must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our current state of insecurity, underpinned by criminality and insurgency.”

“The most tragic consequence is the loss of human lives and the mass displacement of populations, creating an internally displaced persons (IDP) crisis and tearing families apart,” the Paramount Ruler stated.

While pointing out that it is high time for the Federal Government to carry out a total overhaul of the country’s security architecture, Oba Owoade lauded President Bola Tinubu’s demonstration, through actions, that ending insecurity is one of his administration’s foremost concerns.

Oba Owoade commiserated with the families of victims of the attacks and gave an assurance that the government is on top of the situation, as perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, a combined team of the Police and local security operatives has been deployed to the affected villages and forest, while the Alaafin has donated some money to complement government efforts to apprehend the terrorists.