Elder statesman and former Secretary-General of the pan-Yoruba group Afenifere, Pa Ayo Opadokun, says Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is the result of deliberate planning by destructive forces, not a coincidence.
Speaking on the sidelines of his installation as Grand Patron of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Offa Local Government Area, Kwara State, Pa Opadokun says armed banditry and insurgency across the country are being sponsored by powerful interests, Mediaplusng.com reports.
According to him, some Nigerians, including internal agents and external collaborators who seek to destabilize the country or undermine the current government, made far-reaching decisions against Nigeria long ago. He describes the scale and coordination of violent attacks as evidence of a well-thought-out agenda rather than random criminal activity.
Pa Opadokun warns that the presence of non-state actors wielding weapons more sophisticated than those of Nigeria’s conventional armed forces poses a grave danger to national security, Mediaplusng.com further reports.
The NADECO chieftain recalls that security experts had previously cautioned the federal government against allowing such a situation to persist. He adds that ignoring these warnings has contributed to the current crisis facing many parts of the country.
He also recounts attending a four-day high-level meeting at the Nicon Hilton Hotel in August 2022, which allegedly involved some Nigerians and actors linked to the Sahel region. According to him, the meeting focused on strategies to destabilize and overrun Nigeria.
Pa Opadokun insists that recent events across the country validate his long-held position that Nigeria’s insecurity is not accidental. He calls on the government to urgently identify and confront both the sponsors and collaborators behind terrorism and banditry to prevent further deterioration of national stability.
He urges Nigerians to remain vigilant and demand stronger intelligence-led security actions, stressing that only decisive and transparent measures can restore peace and safeguard the country’s future.
