Amid rising cases of kidnapping and violent attacks in the southwest region, particularly in Ondo State, the president of the Afenifere National Youth Council, Prince Eniola Ojajuni, has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, calling for immediate and decisive action to address the crisis.
Ojajuni, a kidnapping survivor, shared his harrowing experience of being held hostage for twelve days in the forest, suffering gunshot wounds without medical attention, food, or clean water. His personal ordeal, he said, reflects the widespread terror gripping the region, where criminals have taken over forests and major highways, particularly the Lagos-Abuja expressway, turning them into ransom negotiation zones.
In his appeal, Ojajuni urged President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the southwest and take immediate military action to combat the menace. He outlined nine key demands, including a full-scale military operation to flush out kidnappers from forests, strengthening border security to curb the infiltration of criminal elements, and empowering local security outfits, including Amotekun, with resources and authority.
Other demands include scrutinizing ransom payment channels, especially Bureau de Change operators suspected of laundering ransom money, enhanced security surveillance in Lagos and Ondo States targeting abandoned buildings that may serve as kidnappers’ hideouts, and youth involvement in security efforts, including mandatory town hall meetings for political office holders to engage with local communities.
Ojajuni also called for stronger collaboration among southwest governors to create a unified security strategy, a southwest youth security summit, as intelligence suggests some locals and tech-savvy individuals aid kidnappers by tracking victims’ mobile devices, and immediate intervention by the Lagos State Governor to convene a southwest governors’ forum meeting focused on security and youth engagement.
Describing the escalating crisis as a war against innocent Nigerians, Ojajuni warned that without urgent intervention, no one is safe. Farmers are abandoning their lands, and travelers live in fear, as criminals operate unchecked.
“Today, it is Ojajuni; tomorrow, it could be anyone,” he wrote, urging President Tinubu to act swiftly to restore security and peace in the southwest.
The open letter signals growing frustration among citizens and community leaders, demanding decisive federal action to protect lives and livelihoods.