Your Excellency, DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE SOUTHWEST ON INSECURITY AND KIDNAPPING.
I write to you with deep pain and urgency regarding the worsening state of insecurity in the Southwest, particularly in Ondo State.
Kidnapping attacks have escalated to alarming levels, leaving citizens in constant fear for their lives and livelihoods. Ondo State, once known for its rich agricultural activities, has now become a danger zone where farmers no longer feel safe accessing their farmlands.
Criminal elements have turned our forests into ransom negotiation camps, while major roads especially the Lagos-Abuja expressway have become death traps for innocent travelers, who are kidnapped daily for ransom.
Mr. President, I am a victim. I have firsthand experience of the horrors these criminals inflict on their captives. I was held hostage for twelve agonizing days and nights in the wilderness, without food or clean water. I suffered AK-47 gunshot wounds, bled for days, and received no medical attention. The excruciating pain I endured was inhumane.
It is only by the grace of God that I survived. Beyond the physical pain, the psychological trauma is unbearable. I struggle with sleepless nights, live in constant fear, and experience distressing flashbacks. The sound of any sudden noise jolts me awake, forcing me to relive my ordeal. This is the reality of many victims, and it could happen to anyone.
Your Excellency, I appeal to you with urgency:
1. Declare a total state of emergency on insecurity in the Southwest, especially in Ondo State.
2. Deploy a special military operation to reclaim our forests from kidnappers and criminal elements.
3. Strengthen border security to prevent the influx of criminal herders and terrorists into our communities.
4. Equip and empower local security agencies, including Amotekun, to effectively combat these threats. 5. Implement long-term security reforms to ensure lasting peace and stability.
6. Investigate the flow of ransom payments where all these money is going to; Bureau de Change operators in the Southwest should be scrutinized immediately.
7. Increase security surveillance in Lagos and Ondo States, particularly in abandoned buildings with No one living and with high fences and locked gates within Lagos; These could be kidnappers’ holding facilities for victims before transporting them elsewhere for ransom.
8. Engage youth associations in the fight against insecurity. The Federal Government should mandate all political office holders to hold regular town hall meetings at their local government areas.
9. Mandate Southwest Governors to collaborate and strengthen security networks. As a matter of urgency, I urge you to call for a Southwest Youth Security Summit to address this crisis. From my experience, these kidnappers work with youths who have strong ICT knowledge to track and monitor mobile devices. Some of these individuals are locals who speak Ondo dialects and Yoruba fluently , acting as spies for these criminal elements.
I have personally written to the Governor of Lagos State, urging him (His Excellency) to convene an urgent Southwest Governors’ Forum meeting on security & Youth engagement. However, only a strong federal directive can ensure swift and collective action. Your Excellency sir, this is a special appeal to your good office. As the father of the nation, now is the time to take decisive action.
The level of insecurity in the Southwest has gone beyond a crisis, it is a full blown war against innocent Nigerians. Our roads are unsafe, our forests are hijacked, and our people live in fear.
The situation is dire. Urgent action is needed. Today, it is Ojajuni; tomorrow, it could be anyone. Your Excellency, the people of Ondo State and the entire Southwest are looking up to you. The time to act is now!
Yours in service,
Prince Eniola Ojajuni President,
Afenifere National Youth Council.
