South-West Faces Rising Bandit Threat, Analysts Say
By TOSI ORE
Analysts Warn South-West Becoming New Haven for Displaced Bandits
PUBLIC anxiety is mounting across the South-West following the recovery of the remains of five Forest Guards killed in a bandit attack on the National Park Service office in Oloka, Oyo State, an incident that analysts say signals a dangerous shift in Nigeria’s security landscape.
The attack follows similar violence in Kwara and Ondo states, where worshippers were attacked, communities invaded, and residents displaced. These incidents, experts argue, point to a broader migration of armed groups into previously less-affected regions.
Security consultant Dotun George Alabi said recent military offensives in northern Nigeria may have pushed bandits southward in search of less fortified terrain.
“The South-West has deep, government-owned forest reserves that are poorly monitored. That makes the region vulnerable,” he said, advocating the deployment of drones, aerial surveillance, and coordinated military-police operations.
Ibadan-based security expert Olugbenga Oludayo echoed the concern, warning that porous borders and insufficient forest patrols could allow criminal networks to regroup and expand.
“If governors do not act decisively, these forests will become permanent camps for criminals,” Oludayo cautioned.
The crisis has drawn sharp reactions from Afenifere, which condemned the killing of the Forest Guards and other violent incidents across Yorubaland, including farmer killings, kidnappings, and the destruction of security infrastructure.
The group called on South-West governors to implement agreed regional security measures without delay, stressing that failure to do so could lead to further loss of lives.
Meanwhile, NADECO USA urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a six-month state of emergency in states grappling with insurgency and banditry, arguing that extraordinary measures were now required to restore public safety.
