Two recent kidnapping incidents along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and in Ekiti State underscore the increasing insecurity plaguing South-West Nigeria. On October 27, at the Ibadan end of the expressway, suspected Fulani bandits attacked travelers, abducting five people and killing several others. Two days later, seven bandits struck in Irele-Ekiti, abducting four more travelers. These alarming incidents expose the inability of the region’s state governors to unite and take decisive action to stop the growing anarchy. Without swift and effective measures, the South-West risks spiraling into the same dangerous insecurity as parts of the North, where life has become brutish, and travel, farming, and business have turned perilous.

What makes these attacks particularly audacious is that they occurred during daylight hours — the one in Irele-Ekiti at 11 a.m., and the Ibadan incident between 5 and 6 p.m., according to police reports. The fact that these criminals operate so boldly reveals how deeply rooted insecurity has become.

In the Ibadan attack, gunmen brazenly repelled the police, killed those who resisted, and took several travelers into the surrounding forests. This blatant breakdown of security on one of Nigeria’s major highways, which connects Lagos — the country’s commercial hub — to the rest of the nation, confirms warnings that the forests in the South-West are infested with bandits.

Victims from these incidents recounted horrific experiences. Adigun Agbaje, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, said, “I was released after spending two nights in the thick forests of Ogun and Oyo states. My thoughts are with the five others still left with the kidnappers: two young ladies, two young men, and a middle-aged person. I was shot in the head during the abduction.” Similarly, another victim, 22-year-old Aminat Taiwo, stated, “The kidnappers were more than 30. They wore army and police uniforms. After robbing us, they took us deep into a forest where we walked for over two hours.”

These grim testimonies are becoming all too familiar as the South-West faces rising levels of kidnappings and violent crimes. Despite repeated warnings, some state governors seem indifferent or distracted by political ambitions, and there are accusations that some even align themselves with political factions that back these criminals.

While security officials acknowledge that terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have formed alliances with Fulani herders and bandits, the South-West governors appear fixated on politics. The fundamental duty of any government is to ensure the safety of its citizens, yet the region is overwhelmed by criminal activities, including killings, rapes, and farm destruction, all of which are perpetrated by bandits and herders. This growing insecurity has made travel and farming dangerous, pushing the region’s economy toward a northern-like desolation.

Although five of the South-West states have established the Amotekun security corps, only Ondo State, under Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, has actively empowered and mobilized it. Other states, including Lagos, have failed to demonstrate the same commitment. Instead, some states appear distracted by political ambitions ahead of the 2023 elections, leading to an underfunded and underutilized Amotekun corps that is ill-prepared to handle the escalating violence.

Amotekun was initially created in response to the brutal murder of Funke Olakunri, daughter of Yoruba leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in 2019. The incident prompted South-West governors to form the regional security outfit. However, while Akeredolu has shown resolve, equipping and supporting Amotekun, other governors have been far less proactive, neglecting the urgency of the growing threat posed by terrorists. Not even the horrific terrorist attack at St. Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, where 42 worshipers were killed, has galvanized the necessary level of action.

Efforts by Akeredolu to arm Amotekun with modern weapons have faced opposition from federal security agencies dominated by northern interests. Nevertheless, he remains undeterred, and other governors must rally behind this cause to equip their regional security forces.

The security situation in the North, where terrorists and bandits operate freely, serves as a dire warning for the South-West. Former Chief of Army Staff Theophilus Danjuma has repeatedly urged Nigerians to defend themselves, calling on citizens to secure arms to protect their communities. Danjuma lamented, “When I called on people to defend themselves in 2017, I was investigated and accused of lying. Today, there is evidence everywhere that foreign bandits are killing and taking over lands.”

South-West governors must heed this warning. Relying on the ineffective security architecture of the current federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari (retired) is a dangerous gamble. The Nigerian Security Tracker of the Council on Foreign Relations reports that 53,480 people have been killed by terrorists between May 2015 and October 2022, a death toll higher than some ongoing international conflicts.

To avoid the further collapse of security in the region, the six South-West governors must prioritize security over politics. Lagos, notably, must establish its Amotekun corps without delay. Governor Sanwo-Olu must decide whether to serve Lagosians or remain beholden to external interests. The other five states must ramp up recruitment for Amotekun, provide advanced training, and invest in necessary resources, such as modern weapons and surveillance technology, including drones, to track down and dismantle kidnappers’ hideouts.

It is also critical that the people of the South-West stop being complacent. Communities, civil society groups, and local organizations must mobilize to demand better security from their leaders. Through public protests, petitions, and campaigns, citizens should exert pressure on their governors to take the fight against banditry seriously. Danjuma’s call to action should not go unheeded: waiting for the federal government to act is equivalent to surrendering to the criminals.

As a federal state, Nigeria must learn from other federal systems worldwide, where policing is decentralized. In countries like the United States, Canada, Germany, and Australia, regional security forces operate independently, ensuring localized control over security matters. Even the United Kingdom, a unitary state, recognizes the importance of decentralization, with 43 police forces operating independently.

The South-West governors must demand the proper arming and empowerment of Amotekun to address the growing security threats in the region. Failure to act decisively may leave the South-West vulnerable to the same fate as the North, where insecurity reigns unchecked. Time is running out, and the stakes are too high for inaction.