By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Lieutenant Colonel Tony Nyiam (rtd) has urged the Federal Government to create a constitutional framework that would allow operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network(WNSN), also known as Amotekun Corps, to carry military-grade weapons in order to enhance their capacity to tackle the rising wave of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping in the region.
Nyiam, who commended the South-West geopolitical zone for its pace setting role, described the Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch and the Amotekun Corps in Yorubaland as “state police in waiting.”
The retired Colonel who is one of the leaders of the botched April 22, 1990, coup against the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), stressed that personnel of the Amotekun Corps must be adequately empowered, including being permitted to bear military-grade weapons, to succeed in their demanding assignments.
He said such provision should be extended to other zones of the country where there are regulated and state – owned security out-fits to complement conventional ones.
He spoke on Wednesday at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, during a public forum organised by the state chapter of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG).
The event, titled “Before the Storm Arrives: The Politics of Security and the Security of Politics in Yorubaland,” featured General Alani Akinrinade (retd) as guest speaker, who in his brief presentation, called for vigilance and converted efforts by governments and people of the region to stem the tide of insecurity.
However, Nyiam argued that since “security is local, the architecture designed to address it must also be local,” adding that the South-West should be allowed to operate a homeland security system similar to those in the United Kingdom, United States, and India.
Earlier, the state chairman of ARG, Chief Wale Oshun, renewed calls for the restructuring of Nigeria to allow for the devolution of powers to constituent units, particularly on security matters.
Oshun lamented the growing insecurity in Yorubaland, driven by terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers.
He warned that proposals such as state police and forest rangers would be ineffective without granting states full command and control over security personnel.
He criticised the current arrangement where a state Commissioner of Police must await directives from the Force Headquarters in Abuja before responding to emergencies, noting that such delays undermine efficiency and rapid response.
Also speaking, General Samson Odunsi (retd) warned that the South-West could no longer afford complacency, describing the region as increasingly vulnerable despite its previously secure status.
He stressed that addressing the security challenges would require collective effort, cautioning that the “storm” of insecurity is no longer approaching but already present and taking root across Yorubaland.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Mr. Seye Olaleye, raised a stark warning that Nigeria is already experiencing the fallout of long-ignored structural challenges, describing the country’s situation as a “time bomb” that has begun to detonate.
Olaleye said the current wave of insecurity across the country is a direct consequence of decades of neglect, particularly in the areas of education, youth development, and population planning.
“We must tell ourselves that Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb. That time bomb we have talked about for years has started exploding,” he said.
According to him, the rise in kidnapping, banditry, and violent crimes can be traced to a generation of young Nigerians who were not adequately trained or empowered.
“The children we didn’t train 26 or 27 years ago when democracy began are the ones now carrying guns. They are the ones turning kidnapping into a business,” Olaleye stated. “We saw it coming, but we did nothing about it.”
He stressed that Nigeria’s security crisis cannot be separated from its rapidly growing population, warning that the country is heading toward even more pressure if urgent steps are not taken.
Citing recent data from UNICEF, Olaleye noted that between 2023 and 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded about 14 million registered births, with estimates rising to roughly 15 million when unregistered births are included.
“In just two years, Nigerians gave birth to about 15 million babies. Let that sink in,” he said.
He further compared Nigeria’s population growth with that of the United Kingdom, pointing out that while the UK’s population increased by about 16 million between 1960 and 2025, Nigeria’s population surged from 45 million to over 200 million within the same period.
Describing the situation metaphorically, Olaleye likened Nigeria to “a father who can only cater for three children but has 35,” warning that failure to plan for population growth has deepened poverty, unemployment, and insecurity.
He concluded that addressing the nation’s security challenges requires a holistic approach that prioritizes education, economic opportunities, and population management, rather than treating insecurity as an isolated issue.
He also called for devolution of powers to the federating units in order to tackle increasing insecurity and unlock development potentials of each unit.
•Cover Picture: L – R, Col. Tony Nyiam, General Alanis Akinrinade (rtd) and Hon. Wale Oshun
