Think Yoruba First (TYF), a socio-cultural organisation, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the security crisis plaguing Kwara State, particularly in Ifelodun Local Government Area.

The group, in a statement on Tuesday by its Public Relations Officer, Oluwole Lewis, expressed concern over the loss of hundreds of lives and properties in the region, citing the vulnerability of civilians, including children, to these attacks.

TYF attributed the security challenges to the overwhelmed security architecture and poor response time of security agencies, while demanding a State of emergency in Kwara North and South, citing peculiar reasons such as the absence of police stations, limited government presence, and lack of access to basic amenities like electricity and internet in troubled towns.

The group noted a recent attack in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun LGA, where at least a dozen civilians were brutally murdered, underscoring the need for urgent action.

TYF stressed that the situation requires a military operation to secure lives and combat the terrorists, going beyond the capacity of state governments or the police.

The organisation urged President Tinubu to take immediate action, warning that history will judge his response to the crisis.

“Hundreds of lives and properties have been lost, including children and other vulnerable groups of society. These victims were all civilians living peaceful and quiet lives. It must be emphasised that the entire security architecture has been overwhelmed in Kwara as the attacks continue unabated. These attacks often employ the guerrilla warfare strategy, where they exploit the massive unpoliced landmass and the very poor response time of security agencies.

“We demand a State of emergency for security in Kwara North and South as most troubled towns don’t have a single police station nor a semblance of law enforcement apparatus. Most of those communities have less than 8,000 residents and are very far from the closest towns with Military presence.

“Government presence, stable electricity and Internet access are almost non-existent in those towns, which significantly affects their capacity to send any SOS request. In the latest attack on Sunday, at least a dozen civilians were brutally murdered in cold blood around Oke-Ode in Ifelodun LGA by ruthless terrorists who seem to get bolder every day. In situations like the above, a State of emergency and an overhaul of the architecture in the troubled zones have become an urgent necessity.

“The situation has gone beyond only the capacity of a State Government or the Police; a military operation must be launched to temporarily secure the lives of our people and combat these monsters, as we search for permanent solutions. We are demanding not just a federal intervention but an immediate one to stem the bleeding.”