The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has issued a comprehensive mandate to the Federal Government of Nigeria, maintaining that the current security architecture is “fundamentally insufficient” to protect the lives and properties of citizens within the South-West region and across the nation. In a communique released following a strategic caucus meeting held at the Akure residence of the group’s leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the group argued that the persistent wave of kidnappings, banditry, and communal clashes is a “symptom of a centralized policing failure.” Afenifere maintained that the only sustainable solution to the nation’s multifaceted crises lies in the immediate implementation of “true federalism,” characterized by a significant devolution of powers from the center to the federating units.
The group’s call for reform is centered on the “urgent necessity” of establishing state-controlled police forces to complement the overstretched federal security agencies. Supporting context from the communique indicates that Afenifere has tasked the governors of the six South-West states Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, and Ekiti to strengthen the “Amotekun Corps” by providing them with more advanced surveillance technology and tactical equipment. The organization maintained that “local intelligence” is the “most potent weapon” against organized crime, asserting that officers who “know the terrain and speak the language” are better positioned to preempt attacks. They argued that the “Federal Government’s reluctance” to embrace “constitutional restructuring” is prolonging the “suffering of the masses,” maintaining that a “return to the 1963 Republican Constitution model” of regional autonomy is the “surest path to national stability.”
Stakeholder reactions to the “Afenifere Declaration” have been marked by “resonate support” from other ethnic nationality groups and regional socio-cultural organizations, including the “Ohanaeze Ndigbo” and the “Middle Belt Forum.” These groups have joined in the “tasking of the Federal Government,” noting that the “centralization of power” has turned the states into “appendages of Abuja” that are “incapable of defending their borders.” Conversely, some “conservative political blocs” in the National Assembly have urged for “caution,” arguing that “state police” could be “misused by governors” for “political victimization.” They maintained that the focus should be on “funding and reforming the existing Nigeria Police Force” rather than “fragmenting the security apparatus.” However, Afenifere dismissed these concerns as “scaremongering,” asserting that “checks and balances” can be built into the “federalist framework.”
Political and constitutional analysts observe that the “Yoruba Group’s Task” reflects a “growing national consensus” on the “obsolescence of the current unitary structure.” Experts suggest that the “security reforms” demanded by Afenifere are “no longer elective but mandatory” for the “survival of the Nigerian state” ahead of the 2027 elections. They argue that “true federalism” would allow states to “control their resources” and “invest more in internal security and infrastructure.” Analyst Dr. Abubakar Suleiman noted that “Afenifere is reminding the government that ‘peace is the daughter of justice’,” adding that “the lopsided distribution of power is the ‘root cause’ of the ‘agitations for secession’ in various zones.” He emphasized that “the Tinubu administration has a ‘historic opportunity’ to be the ‘architect of a New Nigeria’ by listening to these regional voices.”
The broader implications of this development point toward a “reignited debate” in the “National Assembly” over “constitutional amendments” and “restructuring.” By “tasking the FG” so explicitly, Afenifere is “setting the agenda” for the “South-West political class” and “putting pressure” on “elected representatives” to “champion the cause of their constituents.” This move is expected to lead to “increased collaboration” between “regional security outfits” in the “South-West, South-East, and North-Central” to “fill the vacuum” left by the “federal forces.” As the “Pa Reuben Fasoranti-led caucus” continues to “monitor the government’s response,” the focus remains on the “legislative path” toward “State Police” and “Fiscal Federalism.” For the “Yoruba people” and “Nigerians at large,” the “demand for reforms” is a “hope for a country” where “safety is guaranteed” and “autonomy drives development.”
