Federal inaction leaves communities exposed and terrified: Locals
By Onibiyo Segun
(Ibadan, Oyo state) – Recent attacks by Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) terrorists across areas of southwestern Nigeria reflect a dangerous mix of ethnic cleansing, land grabbing, and jihadist expansion, analysts and eyewitnesses warn.
These incidents form part of a broader FEM pattern over the past year, including kidnappings, ransom operations, and forest encampments coordinated across Oyo, Kwara, Plateau, Benue, and Kogi states.
In Oyo state, the Ahoro-Esiele school abduction led to the arrest of six facilitators.
Babangida Buhari Awalu and Kabiru Aliyu, both commercial motorcyclists, were intercepted in Ibadan while collecting ransom. Adewuyi Sunday, Ayanwola Gbenga, Rafiu Abdulmajeed, and Adeleye Ayomide, a university student found with a victim’s phone used for ransom emails were also apprehended.
Police emphasized these arrests targeted facilitators, not the core bandits still hiding in forests.
“The arrests are a start, but the main perpetrators remain hidden, continuing their reign of terror,” said Retired Major General Chukwuma Okeke, former Director of Military Intelligence, Abuja.
“Yet, the federal government refuses to call them what they are, Fulani Ethnic Militia terrorists.” Okeke said.
Okeke tells TruthNigeria: “The terrorists’ identity is clear. Attacks target predominantly Christian communities in the North-Central and Southwest. Do we need a soothsayer to see these Fulani militias pursue jihad?”Police reports indicate the main kidnappers evade capture using advanced call-routing technology that masks locations and bypasses the National Identification Number (NIN)–SIM linkage system.
The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy confirmed portable network-masking devices and call-routing strategies are being employed.
Banks exploited to funnel ransom payments
Police investigators traced funds from Adeleye Ayomide to Wema Bank, while accounts linked to Adewuyi, Ayanwola, and Rafiu acted as distribution points.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, in cooperation with anti-graft agencies, has frozen the implicated accounts.
Security analyst Retired Major General Ibrahim Suleiman, Abuja, questioned the gap: “How do they move funds when the federal government has invested so heavily in financial institutions to fight crime?”
Suleiman explained that, “these syndicates should not be able to operate so openly. They should be tracked first when large funds come into their accounts”.
“It highlights a serious failure in implementation and oversight”, Suleiman concluded.
Ransom demands in the Ahoro-Esiele case reached ₦1 billion (approximately $1.22 million), underscoring the scale and sophistication of these syndicates.
Documented FEM Attacks
June 3, 2026, Imesi-Ile, Oyo County: Two suspected FEM terrorists captured in the forest after investigations revealed concealed cattle.
June 4, 2026, Kwara County: Teacher Adeoye Shina abducted along Obbo-Ile–Eruku road.
June 3, 2026, Egbe, Kogi County: Mrs. Idowu Kemi Titilayo and four-month-old baby rescued; two children and a local shoemaker remain in captivity.
Eyewitnesses describe life under constant fear
Mr. Adebayo Oladimeji of Oriire County said: “Schools and churches have become hunting grounds, and the government seems indifferent.”
Mr. Yusuf Sani of Patigi County added: “We see them grazing cattle on farmlands and hear they operate freely in forests. Our children and neighbors are unsafe.”
Prof Jackson Baradi, Lagos-based security expert, criticized federal authorities.
“By avoiding the label ‘Fulani Ethnic Militia terrorists,’ the government sanitizes the narrative.”
“This deliberate obfuscation undermines public awareness and weakens operational urgency,” he said.
Baradi emphasized that federal inaction enables FEM expansion, allowing syndicates to consolidate forest bases, coordinate ransom operations, and target schools with impunity.
He called for robust strategies, intelligence-led patrols, and stricter interagency coordination.
Analysts warn FEM militancy, kidnapping for ransom, and jihadist ideology create a widening security vacuum.
Okeke added: “Ignoring the ethnic and religious dimensions of these attacks impedes effective counterterrorism.”
“Communities are left exposed while perpetrators feel emboldened.” Okeke said.
For Western readers, the TruthNigeria Security Tracker highlights FEM incidents and federal response trends, providing transparency and analytical insight into kidnappings, terror attacks, and ransom operations.
As southwestern counties face recurrent kidnappings, ransom operations, and forest-based terror, the federal government’s reluctance to name the attackers FEM raises urgent questions about priorities and political transparency.
For frontline communities, acknowledgment and decisive action could mean the difference between survival and further tragedy.
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflict for TruthNigeria.
