The Igbomina Professional Association expresses deep concern over the rising wave of insecurity threatening villages, families, and communities across Igbomina land and Kwara South.
In a statement issued today by the President of the Association, Barr. Bode Iranloye, Esq., the Association acknowledges and appreciates the efforts of His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, as well as the Chairmen of the Igbomina Local Government Areas (Ifelodun, Irepodun, Isin, and Ekiti LGAs), alongside security agencies, for the steps taken so far to address security challenges in the region.
However, the Association notes that more coordinated, sustainable, and community-driven actions are urgently required to stem the tide of insecurity.
The Association describes the trend as a recurring menace undermining peace, agriculture, commerce, and the very fabric of communal life. It therefore calls for urgent and collective measures to address the crisis before it escalates further.
Key Recommendations:
1. Strengthening Community Security Structures. Integrating vigilante groups and hunters with the Nigerian Police under proper regulation, while empowering traditional rulers to play a stronger role in intelligence gathering.
2. Economic Empowerment and Job Creation. Establishing skill acquisition centres, agricultural support schemes, and digital training hubs to reduce youth unemployment and poverty-driven crime.
3. Education, Enlightenment, and Value Reorientation. Reviving Omoluabi values of discipline and integrity through moral and religious education, alongside sustained sensitization campaigns against crime.
4. Intelligence and Technology. Deploying drones, emergency hotlines, and community alert apps for early warning systems, while enhancing resident and visitor data collection at the local government level.
5. Collaboration Between Security Agencies. Strengthening synergy among the Police, NSCDC, DSS, Amotekun, and the Military, with tighter surveillance of border communities adjoining Kogi, Ekiti, and Osun States.
6. Political Will and Good Governance. Ensuring sincerity of leadership, equal enforcement of the rule of law, and improved financial, material, and welfare support for security operatives.
7. Dialogue and Conflict Resolution. Sustaining farmer/herder peace platforms, convening regular youth town halls, and holding periodic reviews of security challenges at the local government level.
8. Role of Citizens and Media. Encouraging community vigilance through the “see something, say something” approach, responsible parenting, and proactive media engagement to inform the public and counter misinformation.
The Association further urges the government and its relevant agencies to identify displaced persons and provide them with relief materials to complement the support already being offered by their host communities.
In the same vein, it stresses the importance of establishing a permanent Army base in the affected area as a matter of urgency.
The Association emphasizes that insecurity cannot be solved by security agencies alone.
“Lasting peace in Igbomina land requires the joint commitment of government, traditional institutions, religious bodies, media, and citizens working together in sincerity and truth,” the statement reads.
It further highlights that poverty, unemployment, and moral decay must be urgently addressed if Kwara South and Nigeria at large are to enjoy sustainable peace.
E-Signed:
Barr. Bode Iranloye, Esq.
President,
Igbomina Professional Association
