The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed deep concern over the wave of attacks ravaging communities in Kwara and Kogi states, warning that they are part of deliberate attempts by territorial expansionists and terrorists to destabilise Nigeria.

The group said the recent killings, abductions and destruction of villages in the Middle Belt should not be dismissed as ordinary banditry or ransom operations, but as a much bigger plot to carve out chiefdoms and endanger the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

In a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere also commiserated with the governments and people of both states over the string of calamities that have struck in recent weeks, including a boat mishap and severe flooding.

The Attacks Are Beyond Ransom Kidnappers

The group stressed that the level of violence and the type of weapons used in the recent invasions in Kwara went far beyond what could be attributed to local criminals.

“The method of operation of the terrorists in Kwara went beyond those who are kidnapping for ransom or are just interested in finding fodder for their livestock,” Afenifere said.

“The type of weapons they use, the derring-do manner with which they attack and the intensity of the damage they cause clearly indicate that they have very powerful people sponsoring them both locally and internationally.

“The usage of the adjective very here was deliberate with a view to underlining the deep involvement of powerful interests locally and internationally in the life-taking experiences we are having presently. So-called ‘illegal miners’ etc. could be suspected here.”

The pan-Yoruba group warned that those aiding or financing these terror groups should not think they would be immune from the chaos they were creating.

“However, those supporting, collaborating and sponsoring the evil doers need to remember that when the country is destabilised, they are not going to be immune,” it warned.

To buttress its point, Afenifere cited international examples: “What is happening in Afghanistan presently and what has been happening since the unwarranted ouster and murder of Muammar Ghadaffi of Libya should serve as lessons.

“Since Gaddafi was ousted, Libya has not known peace. As for Afghanistan, it is as though the government of that country wants to strip Afghan women and girls of their rights to those things that are basic to human existence, education, work, freedom of movement and participation in public life.

“From August 2021, when the Taliban took over the government in that country, it has come up with over 70 decrees violating the rights of girls and women, especially their right to education, according to Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.”

Afenifere also sympathised with families affected by recent natural disasters in the two states.

Naijaonpoint recalls that in September, torrential rains and the overflow of the River Niger triggered severe flooding in parts of Kwara and Kogi, displacing thousands of residents.

Boat accidents, often caused by poor safety standards and overloading, have also claimed dozens of lives in recent months.

Afenifere described these tragedies, coupled with terrorist invasions, as “double jeopardy” for already traumatised communities.

Ajayi reminded those sponsoring violence that terrorists have no respect for human rights and that even the families of backers would not be spared.

“Not only that, they do not have respect for human rights at all, as events in various parts of the world and in some communities that terrorists occupied in Nigeria attested to. Children and family members of terrorists’ sponsors cannot escape from the wrath they are bringing upon the land either,” he warned.

The statement also noted that President Bola Tinubu, in his Independence Day broadcast, assured Nigerians that his administration was committed to tackling insecurity nationwide.

Afenifere said it expects those assurances to be matched with urgent action to save communities under siege.

Naijaonpoint reports that the Middle Belt, covering Kogi, Benue, Plateau, and parts of Kwara, has long been a flashpoint for violent clashes between armed groups and farming communities.

But Afenifere warned that the scale of the latest attacks underscored the urgent need for government intervention, before the crisis spirals further out of control.