The Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has called for a broad and multi-layered investigation into a controversial allegation by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who suggested that recent kidnapping incidents in Oyo State may be politically orchestrated to undermine the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, said the organisation views the matter from a wider structural and security perspective rather than reducing it to personalities or political rivalry.
Ajayi stressed that Nigeria is currently operating in a highly charged political environment where insecurity, governance failures, and electoral positioning often intersect in complicated ways.
According to him, “well, we are in a political era, we are in an election era, let me put it that way, because elections are coming. I mean, we’ve seen a lot of things happening between political parties and all that.”
He explained that while political tensions exist, they should not be used to dismiss legitimate concerns about insecurity or to absolve responsible institutions from scrutiny.
Ajayi added that even within Yoruba political discourse, such issues must be treated with caution because of their potential to inflame regional sensitivities.
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose recently sparked intense political controversy by accusing Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of orchestrating the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State. Speaking on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” program on June 1, 2026, Fayose claimed, without providing evidence, that the Makinde administration staged the abductions to blackmail and tarnish the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Reacting directly to the allegation credited to Fayose, Ajayi said Afenifere does not have investigative powers to validate or dismiss such claims but insisted that the statement should not be ignored by security authorities.
He said, “as for what he said, the allegation, I want to put it, if you permit me to use that word, those who have the authority to investigate matters, I think it is an area they should not forget to look at.”
Ajayi stressed that insecurity in Nigeria operates on multiple layers, involving political actors, security personnel, community leadership structures, and even foreign interests with economic motivations.
According to him, “there are various layers to this issue, escalating insecurity, kidnapping, and all that. That politicians are implicated. Those who are in security agencies are implicated. Some community leaders could be implicated just as foreign interests, who are interested in the solid minerals in Nigeria.”
Ajayi further argued that kidnapping operations in some regions often extend beyond ransom collection, suggesting that displacement of communities may be linked to illicit economic exploitation.
He said, “they don’t just stop at kidnapping and getting ransom. They go further by ensuring that they force people out of their communities. And if you go and take a look at some places where people have been displaced, the next thing you see is that illegal mining would start occurring in that place.”
He noted that in several cases, abandoned communities reportedly become hotspots for illegal extraction activities, raising questions about who ultimately benefits from insecurity-driven displacement.
Ajayi also referenced reports of arrests involving foreign nationals in parts of northern Nigeria, including claims that individuals of Chinese origin were found in connection with illegal mining operations.
He stated, “in Kwara, they said they have arrested people where they even found Chinese among them.”
The Afenifere spokesperson cautioned against narrowing the insecurity narrative to one individual or political actor, insisting that any allegation of orchestration must be thoroughly broadened.
He said, “it is an area that should be looked into, but should not even be limited to the person whom the former governor Fayose is alleging or suspecting. It should be widened.”
Ajayi added that while Fayose’s claim may appear political, the broader issue of coordinated insecurity patterns cannot be ignored by national security institutions.
He said there is a need for deeper interrogation of whether criminal activities are being influenced by political timing or broader strategic interests.
Ajayi referenced comments previously made by senate president, Godswill Akpabio suggesting that insecurity tends to reduce after elections, an observation he said should not be dismissed outright noting that similar sentiments have been expressed by high-ranking officials in the past.
He added that while such claims remain unverified, they highlight the possibility that insecurity may sometimes be shaped by political and strategic calculations.
According to him, “it is a possibility of political and military maneuvering or masterminding that are sustaining this particular thing.”
CALLERS PERSPECTIVE
During the programme, callers expressed sharply divided opinions, reflecting national frustration over worsening insecurity and declining public trust in leadership.
One caller, Abdul Wasiu from Ago Iwoye, dismissed Fayose’s claim entirely, arguing that Nigerians would not take him seriously given his past governance record.
He said, “no Nigerian will believe him… he used local hunters to chase these Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti. The issue of insecurity has been our problem in this country. And our leaders have failed to solve this problem.”
Another caller blamed government failure at all levels, insisting that insecurity is fundamentally a leadership issue rather than a political conspiracy.
He said, “the security of the people is directly in the hands of the government… but none of this is taking place in this country now… now somebody is telling me political. Political as how?”
Another caller, Emmanuel raised concerns about unequal media coverage of insecurity incidents across regions, questioning whether the South-West receives disproportionate attention.
Responding to the interrogations, Ajayi clarified that Afenifere has never reduced insecurity to political conspiracy alone, insisting that the organisation’s position is broader and more structural.
He said, “we are not saying the whole thing is political. No. We are saying that the political angle should also not be ignored. It could be.”
He explained that insecurity involves possible collusion across different layers of society, including security institutions and local actors.
Ajayi referenced past military incidents to illustrate internal betrayal risks within security operations, noting that even trained personnel have sometimes been compromised.
