The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, on Sunday called on the Federal Government to overhaul its intelligence gathering system, stressing that Nigeria must shift from reactive responses to proactive measures in addressing insecurity, even as a viral video emerged showing an abducted school principal and other captives crying out for help following the Friday terrorist attacks and abductions in four villages in the Ogbomoso area of Oyo State, and the Oyo State Police Command confirmed receipt of the video and the commencement of forensic examination and intensive rescue operations.
The monarch made the call in a statement released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following the terrorist attacks and abductions in four villages in the Ogbomoso area on Friday.
Villages including Ahoro-Esinle, Alawusa, Yawota and Oniya, located within Oriire Local Government Area of the state, were attacked on Friday.
The bandits attacked the Esinle School, where two people were killed, a car was burnt, and over 45 pupils alongside a teacher were marched into the Old Oyo National Park forest.
The victims were abducted during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and Community Grammar School/L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in the local government area on Friday around 9:30 a.m.
The Alaafin urged the government to abandon reactive approaches to insecurity, saying this would require making credible investments in intelligence capabilities that identify threats before they materialise, hardening soft targets such as schools and communities, and cutting off the financial and logistical networks sustaining criminal groups.
According to the monarch, this means working with communities to build trust and gather intelligence rather than treating them as collateral damage in airstrikes.
Oba Owoade said abductions and the wanton destruction of lives by terrorists had reached an intolerable level, adding that Nigerians were becoming increasingly apprehensive and worried about the state of insecurity, especially the flagrant disregard for human lives.
While pointing out that “it is high time for the Federal Government to carry out a total overhaul of the country’s security architecture,” Owoade lauded President Bola Tinubu’s demonstration, through actions, that ending insecurity is one of his administration’s foremost concerns.
The monarch said: “The country is going through serious security challenges and what is more disturbing is that these blood guzzlers cannot have such sophisticated and destructive weapons to terrorise people without receiving backing from some allies somewhere.
“Threats to human lives are not only serious acts of terrorism but indeed an abomination. This is why well-meaning Nigerians and good friends of Nigeria must see the current war against dreaded terrorists as a welcomed development and give total support in order to save the country from the siege of terrorism.
“Citizens are fast losing trust in their government’s ability to protect them, and inter-communal trust is breaking down. The constant threat of violence, kidnapping and attacks leaves a generation of citizens with lasting psychological trauma, anxiety and mental health challenges. Insecurity directly threatens the political integrity and governance of a nation.”
The Alaafin further declared: “The ultimate solution is more political than military. Government, political leaders and followers, and all of us must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our current state of insecurity, underpinned by criminality and insurgency.
“The most tragic consequence is the loss of human lives and the mass displacement of populations, creating an internally displaced persons crisis and tearing families apart.
“I commiserate with the families affected by the attacks and assure them that the government is on top of the situation, as the perpetrators will be brought to justice. The Federal Government must also take a holistic approach to intelligence gathering and native intelligence mechanisms as a system for addressing insecurity.
“The police and local security operatives have been deployed to the affected villages, and this donation of money is just to complement government efforts in apprehending the terrorists.”
In a separate development that has heightened the sense of urgency surrounding the abductions, a viral video began trending on Sunday in which a woman who introduced herself as Mrs. Alamu, and said she was the principal of Community High School, Esinele, cried out for help, stating that she and several staff members and students had been abducted by unknown gunmen in Oyo State.
In the video, the principal said the incident occurred on Friday around 9:30 a.m. in Oriire Local Government Area of the state. According to her, armed men attacked the school and abducted several teachers and students.
“On Friday at around 9:30, we were attacked by a certain group of people. A good number of us were abducted, the staff and the students as well,” she said in the emotional appeal.
She called on the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria and other well-meaning Nigerians to urgently intervene and secure their release.