Ogun Monarch Decries Severe Security Vacuum in Border Community

The traditional ruler of Iwoye-Ketu in Ogun State, Oba Isaac Oyero, has issued a stark warning over the critical lack of security in his community, labeling it a gateway for criminal activities. His statement follows a recent attack on Nigeria Customs Service operatives in the area.

The appeal was made in response to an incident at Akokoro village, where officers from the Ogun 1 Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service were attacked, leaving two injured. Oba Oyero condemned the assault as “barbaric and unacceptable” and called for a full investigation.

Highlighting a long-standing crisis, the monarch revealed that the entire community of over 25,000 people is serviced by only three poorly equipped police officers. A newly built police station remains unoccupied due to logistical issues, creating a dangerous security vacuum.

“The porosity of the Iwoye-Ketu border allows foreign criminal elements to move in and out with relative ease,” Oba Oyero stated. He noted that much of the current stability in some parts is ironically provided by well-equipped police forces from the neighboring Republic of Benin.

The community’s vast, under-policed farmlands and forest reserves have become hideouts and transit routes for armed herders, kidnappers, and robbers. The monarch expressed particular shock at allegations from the Customs incident that a large truck was used to transport illicit drugs, calling such a scale of crime alien to the community’s character.

Oba Oyero urgently appealed to the federal government and security authorities to establish a fully operational security base in Iwoye-Ketu. He emphasized that this action is crucial to protect citizens, secure Nigeria’s border, and disrupt transnational criminal networks operating in the region.