The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has said he should not be held responsible for the worsening insecurity across the Southwest, maintaining that he consistently warned political leaders about the looming crisis long before it escalated.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Adams laid out a detailed account of intelligence alerts, strategic proposals, and failed engagements with state actors, stressing that the current situation is the consequence of prolonged inaction rather than lack of foresight.
He described the present security landscape as unprecedented in the history of Yorubaland, explaining that the region, once considered relatively stable, is now grappling with coordinated threats ranging from kidnapping to armed incursions and killings.
According to him, these developments did not occur overnight but followed a pattern he had observed and warned against for years, particularly in agrarian belts and border communities where early signs of infiltration were evident but largely ignored.
Tracing the roots of the crisis, Adams noted that his concerns predate his installation as Aare Ona Kakanfo in 2018, revealing that he had already begun raising alarm about movements of armed elements into parts of Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa. He said intelligence reports at the time indicated a growing presence of non-state actors with sophisticated weapons, but these warnings were dismissed, even by those responsible for internal security, thereby allowing the situation to fester into a full-blown crisis.
“If you want to blame anybody on the issue of insecurity in the Southwest, don’t blame me, because I have done everything within my power to raise awareness and to push for proactive measures before things got out of hand. Even before I became the Aare Ona Kakanfo in 2018, I had intelligence reports about the infiltration of armed groups into Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa axis, and I made it clear to those who needed to listen. Unfortunately, those warnings were not taken seriously, and today we are seeing the consequences of that neglect. This is not something that just started; it is something that has been building over time due to lack of decisive action.”
“I AM NOT A CEREMONIAL AARE” — ADAMS SPEAKS ON LIMITS OF HIS SECURITY ROLE
Amid growing calls from many Yoruba people urging him to act in his capacity as Generalissimo to confront insecurity across the Southwest, Adams clarified that the expectations placed on him do not reflect the present-day political and legal realities under which the office operates. He noted that while the title historically carried full military authority to defend the Yoruba people, modern governance structures in Nigeria have significantly restricted that power, making it impossible for him to unilaterally take security decisions or mobilise forces without state approval.
Adams explained that many who demand immediate action from him are drawing comparisons with the pre-colonial Aare Ona Kakanfo, who operated under the Oyo Empire with direct war powers, unlike the contemporary system where security is firmly under government control. He stressed that despite his personal background, experience, and readiness, the current structure does not permit independent military action, warning that any such move without approval would amount to a breach of law with serious consequences.
“Well, the title of Aare Ona Kakanfo is like a traditional minister of defence in Yoruba land, but people don’t really understand what that means in today’s Nigeria. In those days, from the first to the twelfth Aare, they operated under the Oyo Empire and once they got approval from the Alaafin, they had full power to go to war and defend Yoruba land, even beyond. But now, we are operating under a different structure entirely, the Nigerian state, and there is a process to everything. You cannot just wake up and take security directives on your own, no matter the title you hold.”
He further linked these limitations to historical changes brought by colonial rule and the eventual formation of Nigeria, noting that traditional institutions no longer possess the authority they once had. According to him, even basic security structures at the community level now require government approval, a situation that directly affects how far he can go in responding to threats, regardless of urgency or available intelligence.
“When the amalgamation of Nigeria happened in 1914, a lot of powers were taken away from traditional institutions, and that has continued till today. Even to organise security within your own community, there are processes you must follow through government. So how do people expect me to just act independently as Aare? I am not a ceremonial Aare, I have the experience, I have been involved in security matters for years, but the power to act is not in my hands the way people think.”
Adams maintained that acting outside the approval of political authorities would not only be unconstitutional but dangerous, citing past experiences where individuals involved in grassroots security operations faced severe consequences for bypassing official channels. He stressed that the security architecture of the country places ultimate authority in the hands of government, leaving traditional titles like his with influence but not command power.
“You cannot go to war when your superior authority has not given you approval, because the moment you do that, you have already crossed the line. You can be arrested, detained, or even set up, and I am speaking from experience. We have seen situations where people who tried to take action without approval paid dearly for it. So when people are calling on Aare to move, they should also understand that there is a limit to what you can do within the system we are operating.”
He therefore reiterated that what is required is not pressure on traditional institutions alone, but deliberate collaboration between government and existing grassroots security structures, insisting that without such cooperation, expectations placed on his office will remain largely symbolic rather than operational.
“What I have been saying is collaboration. If there is proper collaboration with government, even at the local level, we can do a lot more. But without that approval and structure, there is a limit. People should understand that this is not the old Oyo Empire; this is a modern state, and the security system is controlled by political authority.”
Adams further disclosed that upon assuming office, one of his earliest moves was to formally engage Southwest governors through written communications, calling for a regional security summit that would bring together stakeholders to confront the emerging threats. He expressed frustration that despite the urgency of his proposals, it took over a year for a coordinated response to materialise, eventually culminating in the Ibadan security conference that led to the creation of the Amotekun Corps.
AMOTEKUN HAS BEEN POLITICIZED- GANI ADAMS
While acknowledging the significance of Amotekun as a regional response, Adams argued that the initiative was compromised from the outset due to the rejection of a unified command structure, which he believes would have enhanced coordination and intelligence sharing across states. Instead, he said, the decentralised approach adopted by individual states weakened the collective strength of the outfit and limited its operational effectiveness.
“The idea behind Amotekun was very clear from the beginning — it was meant to be a regional security outfit with a unified command that would allow for proper intelligence gathering, sharing, and coordinated response across all Southwest states. But somewhere along the line, that vision was altered, and each state decided to go its own way. What that did was to fragment the structure and weaken its overall effectiveness. Security is not something you handle in isolation, especially when the threats are interconnected, and that is one of the fundamental issues we are dealing with today.”
He also pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in implementation, singling out Lagos State for failing to fully operationalise the outfit despite legislative backing, a situation he said undermined regional cohesion.
In contrast, he commended states like Oyo and Ondo, noting that their relative success in curbing insecurity was tied to stronger commitment and execution under leaders such as Seyi Makinde and the late Rotimi Akeredolu.
Beyond Amotekun, Adams revealed that he proposed a broader, more inclusive security framework that would integrate grassroots and private security networks into a structured system capable of addressing manpower gaps. He explained that his proposal, which he said was communicated multiple times to state governments, focused on leveraging existing community-based structures to complement formal security agencies at the local level.
He stated“I didn’t just stop at raising alarms; I went further to propose practical solutions that could help us manage the situation effectively. I wrote to the governors on several occasions, suggesting that we create a volunteer-based security structure that would work alongside existing agencies at the grassroots level. The reality is that no state in the Southwest has the financial capacity to recruit the number of personnel needed to secure its territory effectively, so the logical step is to integrate the structures we already have within our communities into a coordinated framework.”
Adams emphasized that his strategy relied heavily on established grassroots organisations such as the Oodua People’s Congress, alongside hunters, vigilantes, and other local networks with deep community roots. He disclosed that the OPC alone boasts millions of members across Yorubaland, with additional support systems extending into diaspora communities, all of which could serve as a formidable force if properly harnessed.
He added that through the Southwest Security Stakeholders Group, various organisations including Agbekoya groups, vigilante corps, and women-led intelligence networks have already been mobilised, forming a potential pool of millions of operatives capable of supporting formal security efforts.
However, he lamented that the lack of political will has prevented the full utilisation of these resources.
“We are not lacking in manpower; what we are lacking is coordination and political will. When you look at organisations like OPC, hunters’ groups, vigilantes, and even women networks that are deeply embedded in our communities, you will see that we have millions of people who can contribute meaningfully to security if properly organised. Through the Southwest Security Stakeholders Group, we have already brought many of these groups together, and we are talking about a potential strength of six to seven million people. Imagine what that can do if there is proper structure, training, and collaboration with government agencies.”He added.
He warned that the current security challenges have grown beyond what existing structures can handle, particularly in the face of increasingly sophisticated weaponry used by criminal elements. Adams highlighted the disparity between the arms available to local security outfits and those wielded by criminal groups, noting that restrictions on weapons have further limited the effectiveness of outfits like Amotekun.
“You cannot expect a security outfit that is not allowed to carry sophisticated weapons to confront criminals who are armed with automatic rifles and other advanced weapons. That imbalance is a serious problem, and it is one of the reasons why we are struggling to contain these threats effectively. Security is not just about having people on the ground; it is also about equipping them adequately and ensuring that they are not outmatched in the field. Until we address that imbalance, we will continue to face serious challenges.” He stated.
Adams also criticised what he described as the politicisation of recruitment into security outfits, arguing that competence has often been sacrificed for patronage, thereby weakening operational efficiency. He noted that while the early phase of Amotekun saw the involvement of experienced grassroots operatives, later recruitment processes became influenced by political considerations, leading to a decline in effectiveness.
According to him; “At the beginning, when Amotekun was being set up, there was a conscious effort to bring in people who had real experience at the grassroots level — people who understood the terrain and the dynamics of local security. But over time, the process became politicised, and recruitment was no longer based strictly on competence. When you compromise on quality in something as critical as security, the consequences will always show, and that is part of what we are seeing today.”
The Aare Ona Kakanfo concluded that without genuine collaboration between government institutions and grassroots security structures, the insecurity in the Southwest will continue to escalate. He stressed that the way forward lies in building a unified, intelligence-driven system that prioritises coordination over politics and action over rhetoric.
“The solution is not complicated, but it requires sincerity and commitment. We need a unified approach that brings together government, security agencies, and grassroots organisations into one coordinated system driven by intelligence and shared objectives. This is not the time for politics or blame games; it is the time for decisive action. If we fail to act now in a structured and collaborative manner, the situation will only get worse, and that is something we cannot afford as a people.” He said.
