Alarmed by the rising wave of insecurity in the country, particularly in the Southwest, the President of Afenifere National Youth Council, Prince Eniola Ojajuni, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Ondo State. Ojajuni’s call comes in the wake of his own traumatic experience as he was reportedly shot at and kidnapped by bandits on February 17, 2025, while travelling from Ondo State to Abuja.
In an open letter to the President, Ojajuni expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation, stating that kidnapping attacks have escalated to alarming levels, leaving citizens in fear for their lives and livelihoods.
“Ondo State, once known for its rich agricultural activities, has now become a danger zone where farmers no longer feel safe accessing their farmlands. Criminal elements have turned our forests into ransom negotiation camps, while major roads, especially the Lagos-Abuja expressway, have become death traps for innocent travelers who are kidnapped daily for ransom,” he said.
Ojajuni recounted his own ordeal at the hands of kidnappers, describing his 12-day captivity as inhumane and agonising.
“I was held hostage for 12 agonising days and nights in the wilderness, without food or clean water. I suffered AK-47 gunshot wounds, bled for days, and received no medical attention. The excruciating pain I endured was inhumane. It is only by the grace of God that I survived,” he narrated.
Beyond the physical suffering, Ojajuni also highlighted the lasting psychological trauma.
“I struggle with sleepless nights, live in constant fear, and experience distressing flashbacks. The sound of any sudden noise jolts me awake, forcing me to relive my ordeal. This is the reality of many victims, and it could happen to anyone,” he said.
Ojajuni urged President Tinubu to take decisive action, including deploying a special military operation to reclaim the forests from kidnappers and criminal elements.
He also called for strengthened border security to prevent the influx of criminal herders and terrorists into the Southwest, empowerment of local security agencies, including Amotekun, to effectively combat security threats; increased surveillance in Lagos and Ondo States, particularly in abandoned buildings with high fences and locked gates, which he suspects may be used as holding facilities for kidnapping victims and ransom payment channels, including Bureau de Change operators in the Southwest, to track the financial networks of kidnappers.
Ojajuni also advocated greater youth involvement in security efforts, urging the Federal Government to mandate political office holders to hold regular town hall meetings in their constituencies.
In addition to calling on the Federal Government, Ojajuni revealed that he has written to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging him to convene an urgent Southwest Governors’ Forum meeting on security and youth engagement.
“As a matter of urgency, I urge you to call for a Southwest Youth Security Summit to address this crisis. From my experience, these kidnappers work with youths who have strong ICT knowledge to track and monitor mobile devices. Some of these individuals are locals who speak Ondo dialects and Yoruba fluently, acting as spies for these criminal elements,” he warned.
Ojajuni lamented that the level of insecurity in the Southwest has gone beyond a crisis, stating that it is now a full-blown war against innocent Nigerians.
“Our roads are unsafe, our forests are hijacked, and our people live in fear. The situation is dire, urgent action is needed,” he declared.
