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Gani Adams raises alarm over alleged terrorist infiltration across South-West communities
• Claims armed groups are testing strategies in Kogi and Kwara ahead of coordinated attacks
• Says intelligence points to planned strikes in Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has warned that the South-West region is facing what he described as a growing security threat, claiming that terrorist groups have infiltrated several communities and may be preparing coordinated attacks.
Adams issued the warning during an interview with Central TV, monitored by SaharaReporters, at his Lagos residence. He said recent incidents across the country suggest that Nigeria is entering a more dangerous phase of insecurity.
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“We are in a situation where our country is under a serious security threat. What is happening in most of the states now calls for concern,” he said.
According to him, intelligence received from what he called “a very serious authority” indicates that armed groups have already penetrated the South-West. “We got information that we have been highly infiltrated in the South-West by these terrorists in most communities in Yorubaland,” he stated.
Adams further claimed that activities in Kogi and Kwara show signs of pre-operational tests. “Kogi and Kwara are like buffer zones to the South-West, and what they are doing there is just to test the ground before starting the major attacks,” he alleged.
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He said the intelligence available to him suggests that Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos are among the states being targeted.
When asked to name the groups allegedly responsible, Adams linked them to several armed factions active in northern Nigeria. “They are the same people you see attacking people every day. Sometimes you call them bandits, sometimes Fulani herdsmen,” he said.
He went on to mention ISIS, ISWAP and Boko Haram as the major international organisations with splinter cells operating in Nigeria. He also claimed that some foreign actors are coordinating parts of the alleged operations. “I can tell you authoritatively that this thing is being coordinated by some foreigners. It goes beyond Nigerians,” he insisted.
Adams suggested that the motivations behind the reported threats include political, economic and ethnic interests. He added that each group had different ideological goals driving their activities.
Reacting to the situation in the Middle Belt, Adams said he was shocked by reported comments from the Benue State Governor dismissing claims of religious persecution. “Even those of us not living in the Middle Belt are concerned about what is happening in Benue and Plateau. Every day we get reports of attacks in different communities,” he said.
He argued that the scale and pattern of violence in some areas could reasonably be described as genocide. “When one race is targeting another with the intent to wipe them out of a community or state, you cannot rule out genocide,” he added.
