The Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE) has unveiled a fundraising campaign to strengthen security across 10 states, as part of efforts to combat rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in Yoruba-speaking communities.
Speaking in Ibadan, the council’s Secretary-General, Dr. Victor Taiwo, appealed to wealthy Yoruba sons and daughters, as well as other patriotic Nigerians, to support the initiative with financial contributions to boost community security.
According to Taiwo, funds raised would be used to procure modern security equipment, including surveillance drones and other intelligence-gathering devices, to improve the fight against criminal activities across the affected states.
He expressed optimism that the council’s proposed security strategy could deliver noticeable results within 60 days once the required resources were secured, although he declined to reveal details of the plan for strategic reasons.
“We have developed a solution capable of tackling banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, but we are not ready to make it public yet. Our immediate priority is raising the resources needed to implement it,” he said.
The initiative is expected to cover Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta states.
Taiwo lamented that repeated warnings issued by the council since 2015 over the spread of criminal activities into parts of the South-West were allegedly ignored, contributing to the worsening security situation.
He stressed that the council would no longer remain silent while insecurity continued to threaten lives and livelihoods across the region.
“Our goal is to stop the spread of banditry, secure the release of kidnapped victims and protect our communities.
Yoruba people are determined to defend their land using every lawful resource available,” he stated.
The council revealed that donations had already started coming in but urged more individuals and organisations with the capacity to contribute to join the campaign.
Taiwo also claimed that insecurity had forced many residents to flee their communities and alleged that 17 traditional rulers had been killed in Kwara State, describing the situation as alarming.
He further warned that criminal groups were attempting to extend their operations into more Yoruba communities, calling for urgent and coordinated action to prevent further deterioration of security.
The CYE Secretary-General criticised political leaders over what he described as an inadequate response to the growing threat and urged all stakeholders to unite in safeguarding lives and property across the region.
