The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has urged Yoruba people to remain vigilant in the face of rising security challenges across the country.
The monarch made the call at the weekend during the Ode-Omu Day celebration in Osun State.
His message was conveyed in a statement issued on Sunday by his Media Aide, Adeola Oloko.
Ode-Omu Day is an annual event where the community reviews its developmental progress and outlines future goals.
Commending the people of the town, Oba Ladoja praised the leadership of the Alaye of Ode-Omu, Oba Bolarinwa Oladipupo, for sustaining a strong culture of community development.
“Let me use this occasion to urge Yoruba people to be vigilant amid security challenges facing Nigeria,” the Olubadan said.
NewsNGR reports that a Yoruba socio-political group, Yoruba for Democratic Values (YDV), recently raised alarm over rising insecurity in the South-West, warning that some farmers across the region have abandoned their farmlands due to persistent attacks by bandits and criminal herders.
According to YDV, insecurity in states such as Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, and parts of Kwara has escalated in recent months, with reports of kidnappings, violent incursions into forest reserves, and attacks on communities.
The organisation said criminal elements have established hideouts in several forest belts, forcing farmers to flee for safety and leaving farmlands unattended.
The group noted that the South-West—historically a major agricultural hub producing staples such as yams, cassava, plantains and rice—is beginning to feel the economic impact of insecurity as rural communities struggle to continue farming.
YDV warned that if the trend continues, the region could face severe food production deficits with national implications.
“The South West has historically been a heartland of agriculture, trade, and culture. The region’s farmlands produce staples such as yams, cassava, plantains, and rice. The invasion of herders, bandits, and criminal herding networks is already undermining this agricultural productivity: some farmers have abandoned their fields, citing insecurity.
“This is deeply worrying: a sustained security threat in the Southwest would not only disrupt food production (risking local and national food supply) but also destabilise a region that has long contributed to Nigeria’s economic wellbeing. For decades, Yoruba lands have enjoyed relative peace; to allow this to be undermined is to threaten both the social and economic foundations of the region,” YDV stated.
Leave a Comment