Gani Adams slams FG over killings in Plateau, Benue, and Ondo; demands urgent security reform, decentralised policing, and restructuring to save Nigeria.
Gani Adams Slams FG Over Plateau, Benue Killings
Yoruba leader condemns rising violence, calls for decentralised policing to safeguard national unity and food security
The Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, has delivered a scathing rebuke of the Federal Government’s handling of the worsening security crisis in Plateau, Benue, and Ondo States, warning that continued inaction may spell disaster for Nigeria’s unity and stability.
Speaking at the grand finale of the 2025 Eledumare Festival in Lagos on Tuesday, Adams condemned recent violent attacks by suspected armed herders that have claimed scores of lives and displaced thousands. He described the incidents as “barbaric” and “a direct affront to the values of peace and love that should unite Nigeria.”
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No nation can thrive when one part of its population is allowed to brutalize another without consequence,” Adams stated. “What we are witnessing is the gradual descent into anarchy, and the Federal Government must urgently recalibrate its security strategy.
Security Failures Jeopardising Food Security, National Stability
Adams highlighted the broader implications of the escalating violence, particularly its impact on food security and foreign investment. States like Benue and Plateau are agricultural powerhouses, and their destabilisation, he warned, poses a threat to national food production.
Every act of violence in these regions sets us back not only in lives lost but also in economic progress, he said. “The farmers cannot go to their fields, and investors will not go where there is no guarantee of safety.”
Criticises Centralised Policing, Calls for Restructuring
The Yoruba leader did not mince words in criticising the federal government’s centralised approach to policing, which he labelled as outdated and politically motivated.
“You cannot cling to a failed structure for the sake of political convenience,” he declared. “What Nigeria needs now is a decentralised security architecture one that empowers state and local government policing to tackle threats at the grassroots level.”
Adams stressed that restructuring Nigeria’s governance is no longer a political talking point but a national survival strategy. He urged the federal government to prioritise the establishment of state and community policing frameworks to allow localised responses to insecurity.
Eledumare Festival: A Call to Cultural Unity
Amid the calls for reform, Adams also used the occasion to highlight the spiritual and cultural significance of the Eledumare Festival. The event, he said, celebrates divine providence, unity, and the enduring identity of the Yoruba people.
“Our heritage gives us strength, and in these turbulent times, we must hold on to the values that bind us together peace, love, and justice,” he said.
A Final Warning from Gani
Gani Adams concluded with a stern warning that the federal government’s continued silence and inaction on the killings could push the country toward irreversible fragmentation.
“We cannot allow political interests to override the safety and dignity of Nigerian citizens,” he said. “The time to act is now.”
