Terror groups have penetrated South-West, planning major attacks – Gani Adams

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has sounded a fresh alarm over what he describes as growing security concerns across the country, claiming the South-West has been infiltrated by armed groups preparing coordinated assaults.

Adams delivered the warning in an interview with Central TV  at his Lagos home.

He said recent incidents in various parts of Nigeria point to “a serious security threat” that authorities must address without delay.

“We are in a situation that our country is on a serious security threat. What is happening in most of the states now calls for concern,” Adams said.

“We got information from a very serious authority that we have been highly infiltrated in the South-West by these terrorists in most of the communities in Yorubaland.”

He further suggested that activities in neighbouring Kogi and Kwara states show that armed groups are experimenting with tactics ahead of more extensive operations.

“Kogi and Kwara are like buffer zones to the South-West, and what they are doing there is just to test the ground to start the major attacks,” he alleged.

“The information at our disposal is that they want to attack Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos States.”

Pressed to identify the groups involved, Adams linked them to armed factions already operating in northern Nigeria, though he stressed that his information came from unnamed sources.

“They are the same people you see attacking people every day in various parts of the country. In some cases you call them bandits, in some cases Fulani herdsmen,” he said.

“But when you talk of international terrorist organisations, we have ISIS and ISWAP in Nigeria. We also have Boko Haram. These are the main groups, but we have different pockets that broke away from them.”

He also claimed that foreign actors were coordinating aspects of the alleged operations.

“I can tell you authoritatively that this thing is being coordinated by some foreigners. It goes beyond Nigerians,” he asserted.

Adams noted that the motivations behind the violence vary, driven by political, economic and ethnic dynamics, each with its own agenda.

Reacting to comments recently attributed to the Benue State Governor regarding religious persecution in the Middle Belt, Adams said he was taken aback.

“I was shocked,” he said. “Even we that are not living in the Middle Belt are seriously concerned about the incidents happening in Benue and Plateau states. On a daily basis, we get information of attacks in different communities.”

He added that the pattern of repeated violence could reasonably be interpreted as targeted aggression.

“I don’t know how this man wants to classify genocide,” Adams added. “When a race is attacking another race, trying to wipe them out of a system or community, or state there is no way you wouldn’t classify it as genocide.”

Security agencies had yet to respond to Adams’ claims as of press time.

(SAHARA REPORTERS)