Banditry: Soun advocates reinforcing local security networks

Banditry: Soun advocates reinforcing local security networks

Yinka ADETUNJI

In a renewed call for a community rooted approach to tackling insecurity across Nigeria, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, has urged state governors to place greater emphasis on vernacular and local security structures as the nation’s first line of defense.

This is according to a press release titled, “Rising wave of insecurity and the need for proactive countermeasures,” and signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Community Relations, Rev’d Peter Olaleye.

Oba Olaoye stressed that Nigeria cannot rely solely on conventional policing systems to address evolving threats such as banditry, insurgency, communal violence, and the infiltration of criminal elements through border communities.

According to him, “Security is local, crime is local, insurgency, banditry, communal clashes, and even misinformation all begin in communities before they escalate into national crises. Our response must therefore begin at the grassroots and therefore we must empowering local security as first responders.”

The monarch emphasised that governors must prioritise and strengthen local security formations particularly Amotekun, the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), local vigilantes, hunters’ guilds, and forest guards because of their unique understanding of community terrain, culture, and early warning patterns.

He noted that these groups, when properly coordinated, serve as an effective buffer zone capable of detecting threats long before they escalate.

“Our governors must prioritise vernacular security architectures,” he said. “Amotekun, OPC, forest guards, vigilantes, and our hunters must be empowered, funded, and equipped. They complement the Nigeria Police Force they do not replace it. But they are the frontline responders because they understand the environment.”

The Soun further highlighted the crucial role traditional institutions must play as the heart of community security in strengthening security at the local level. As custodians of customs, mediators in communal affairs, and the closest leadership to the grassroots, traditional rulers can mobilise public support for government security interventions more effectively than distant central authorities.

“We the traditional rulers are uniquely positioned to galvanise community cooperation for state-led interventions,” he stated. “This includes fostering stronger linkages between community leadership and formal security institutions, and ensuring that traditional rulers are fully integrated into local and state security frameworks.”

Emphasising the strategic importance of Ogbomoso in Nigeria’s security map, the monarch reminded government authorities that his domain serves as the gateway and one of the major boundary corridors into the southwest.

“My domain is the first boundary town in southwest Nigeria,” he said. “This makes vigilance a matter of necessity for us. Nigeria Police Force, forest guards, Amotekun, and other local security groups must be equipped to manage border inflows and prevent criminal penetration.”

He reiterated that no security architecture can succeed without the active involvement of locals who understand the heartbeat of their communities.