Apex pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has stated that the change is effected in the agencies of government responsible for security in Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu is a step in the right direction.

According to the group, the move will salvage and reset the country adroitly.

The body’s position was contained in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi.

According to the Afenifere spokesman, “The damage that insecurity has caused (and is causing) in over a decade now presents Nigeria as though a nation at war. This war is not only physical; it is also psychological and attitudinal. It has resulted in millions of Nigerians living in a condition that is not only debilitating but elicits pity.”

Ajayi, who stated that this undesirable situation was well captured by President Tinubu while hosting the 36 state governors in his maiden meeting with them on June 7, 2023 in Abuja, stressed that poverty was writ large on the faces of Nigerians, and the president had challenged the governors by declaring that “our position (task) is to eliminate poverty”.

Drawing a relationship between change in the leadership of security agencies and poverty, Ajayi submitted that the spate of insecurity has led to the untimely deaths of thousands, imperiled hundreds of thousands of lives, and destroyed businesses running into billions, if not trillions of naira, thus aggravating the poverty indices in the country.

He added: “Incidentally, the president actually said that poverty and insecurity were priority areas for his administration, and he would do all that is required to address them. He gave this assurance while having a conversation with European Council President, Mr. Charles Michel on June 7, Wednesday, 2023.”

Afenifere recalled that circa 2024/2025, three states, Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, were under siege. “Many others such as Niger, Sokoto, Nassarawa, Benue, Plateau, Katsina, etc, also came under serious attacks in subsequent years leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to be living in what is called Internally Displaced Peoples’ camps. Thus, they became refugees in their own country with a future that was uncertain.