protect vulnerable communities

Think Yoruba First (TYF) has called on the Federal Government to urgently reassess and strengthen national security strategies amid rising insecurity across the country.

The group made the call in a statement on Friday by its General Secretary, Dr. Bukola Adeniji, where it expressed concern over the growing wave of terrorist activities and the increasing threats to lives and property nationwide.

TYF urged authorities to prioritise the protection of vulnerable communities and critical national assets, stressing that decisive and coordinated actions are needed to address the worsening security situation.

The organisation cited recent security incidents involving staff of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) and reported breaches within the Oyo State Forest Reserve as troubling signs of an evolving security crisis. It described the attacks as direct challenges to the authority and sovereignty of the Nigerian state, warning of a potential shift toward urban infiltration if urgent steps are not taken.

TYF further decried the growing number of killings, abductions and ransom demands across the country, noting that many families have been financially and emotionally devastated, while public confidence in existing security responses continues to decline.

While reaffirming its support for President Tinubu’s administration and future electoral success, the group emphasized that such support must be anchored on measurable progress in tackling insecurity.

According to the organisation, enhanced intelligence gathering, improved inter-agency collaboration and stronger law enforcement operations are essential to curbing the activities of terrorist groups and restoring public confidence in the nation’s security framework.

The group maintained that safeguarding citizens and securing strategic national infrastructure must remain a top priority, warning that urgent intervention is required to prevent further deterioration of the country’s security landscape.

“For years, innocent Nigerians particularly in the North and North Central have suffered at the hands of jihadist groups operating under the guise of religious identity. Today, these threats have evolved beyond rural attacks and highway ambushes into coordinated assaults on government institutions, with clear signs of expansion into Southern Nigeria. The South West, once relatively insulated, is now experiencing increasing and persistent attacks.

“Recent incidents involving staff of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), as well as the breach of security within the Oyo State Forest Reserve, are stark and troubling indicators of a dangerous new phase in this crisis.

“These attacks are not isolated—they represent direct challenges to the authority and sovereignty of the Nigerian state. The abduction of citizens from their homes and even from government-controlled environments signals a deeply troubling trajectory toward widespread insecurity, including the looming threat of urban infiltration.

“We therefore call on the Federal Government to immediately reassess and strengthen national security strategies, enhance intelligence gathering and inter-agency coordination, deploy decisive military and law enforcement operations against terrorist enclaves and prioritize the protection of vulnerable communities and critical national assets

“Nigeria stands at a critical juncture. Silence and inaction are no longer acceptable. The safety, dignity, and future of our people must take precedence over all other considerations.”