Ekiti State and the Shifting Security Landscape

By HC Ade

Security is an inalienable right from any fear or threat. Security, they also say, is a stage of being free from danger or threat, while insecurity is the obvious presence of either or both the risk and the threat.

Insecurity is a global phenomenon, and Nigeria and the subnational are experiencing their share. The genesis of Nigeria’s insecurity challenges is complex and multifaceted. It is traceable to our pre-colonial and colonial eras and their global effects.

Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups and a roughly equal split between Muslims and Christians. The religious tensions and tribal conflicts on the one side, along with the colonial legacy of our colonial masters through the dubious marriage of inconvenience, further divided, even creating artificial boundaries and fostering competition among Nigerian ethnic groups, leading to obvious insecurity.

The Civil War (between 1967 and 1970), decades of military incursions, and the pervasive corruption marked Nigeria’s post-colonial era. The emergence of the Boko Haram insurgency in early 2009, when the extremist group began its campaign of violence, which further snowballed into herder-farmer conflicts, banditry and kidnapping, economic hardship, unemployment, and lack of opportunities, has driven some individuals to crime.

Ineffective leadership, corruption, and lack of accountability, which have hitherto undermined trust in institutions and perpetuated insecurity along with external influences, subtle promotion of global extremist networks, smuggling, and human trafficking, have also contributed to Nigeria’s insecurity challenges. Regional and global instability in the Sahel region and global terrorism through Nigeria’s fledgling and porous democracy make the country a part of the global phenomenon of terrorism, extremism, and organised crime, of which Ekiti State has its share.

The fundamental duty of every responsible and responsive administration is no doubt the provision of security. In other words, good governance is all about the security of the lives and property of the citizenry before any other things. The success or otherwise of any administration is measured on good governance benchmarks of the assurance and presence of security within the sub-national. Specifically, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides for the right to security as a fundamental human right. So far so good; the bedrock of any prosperous democracy is the presence of peace and tranquility As a matter of fact, Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution expressly states the security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government. Impliedly, with peace and safety of life and property, development can be seamlessly achieved.

Within the last two years of this present administration, especially from the moment Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State mandated the Chairmen of Local Government and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to start holding security council meetings as part of efforts to tackle insecurity headlong in their various domains, definitely, the era of ‘business as usual’ had taken flight. Not stopping there, the governor also tasked the Office of his Special Adviser on Security Matters with the burning need for quarterly meetings with all the chairmen of all the local governments/LCDAs to regularly review the security challenges in their domains.

The administration’s donation of improved operational vehicles to all security agencies and the administrative motivation of the Amotekun Corps in Ekiti State demonstrate the administration’s desired commitment to everyone’s safety, sending a strong signal to all corners of the state, particularly the farmers. The administration’s passionate handling of challenges arising from deliberate or orchestrated security hiccups is another noteworthy intervention, especially considering that a serene and peaceful environment is the cornerstone of any people-oriented democracy. 

The success story of the administration includes curbing the activities of criminal gangs operating on motorcycles by properly regulating the operation of private and commercial motorcyclists in the state, forging a working synergy between the conventional security agencies operating in the state, including the Nigerian Army, the Police, the Department of State Services, and non-state actors such as the Ekiti State Peace Corps, the Amotekun Corps, and Agro Marshalls that has led to effective joint patrol of all parts of the state, including the state farm settlements, forest reserves, and free areas, as well as communities along the state boundaries.

Since the creation of Ekiti State from the old Ondo State on October 1, 1996, and the advent of our democratic experience in 1999, the current administration has demonstrated a superior approach to mitigating security challenges in the state compared to previous administrations during similar periods. This is why opposition political parties are still in a state of disbelief of an administration of close to three years without any record of political assassination, killing, thuggery, maiming, and destruction of properties. A move around the state today and feeling of the people’s pulse is fast giving positive results; Ekiti State is fast beginning to attract investors, and the confidence of the people to return to farming is fast growing.

However, as much as there are noticeable improvements in state security, more still needs to be done, especially as we move closer to the 2026 governorship election in the state. At a time like this, complacency on the part of the state and other critical stakeholders can be too dangerous. Essentially, therefore, there’s an urgent need for vigilance even as the security agencies need to up their game, because the closer we get to the moment of decision-making, the more uncomfortable the people’s enemies become. Given our peaceful homogeneous co-existence, we must promptly address the unnecessary religious controversy that is surfacing in the state.

As a member of the global and national community, insecurity is a global phenomenon that we all share. The menace of banditry and herdsmen is yet to abate. This is why the administration must wake up and do more! It will be in the interest of the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Legislature to be more proactive. They must refocus and rechannel more energy to collaborate with the security agencies, especially in the areas of intelligence gathering. A legislative review of the Ekiti State Security Network Agency Law 2020 and other existing laws may be imperative in bringing them up to date.

As of today, this state is indeed one of the safest states in Nigeria. That must never be allowed to slip off our tips! The current investors’ confidence, the conscious policy direction towards food security, and the agriculture value chains are also welcome developments. But Ekiti must aim for higher grounds!

*HC Ade wrote from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State