A civic advocacy group, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has raised concerns over worsening insecurity in Nigeria and rising political tension ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.
The group made its position known during its May 2026 State of the State address delivered at a press conference by its Executive Director, Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli.
Addressing journalists, Oyedokun-Alli described the security situation in the country as deeply troubling, citing the recent kidnapping of 46 schoolchildren in neighbouring Oyo State as evidence of a collapse in intelligence and territorial policing.
He said the abduction of the pupils represented a dangerous development capable of threatening the future of the country if urgent measures were not taken.
“The security architecture of the country has fractured to a deeply terrifying degree,” he said.
Oyedokun-Alli added that attacks on schools and farming communities were worsening concerns over food security and public safety across the country.
“Survival in Nigeria has indeed become an extreme sport, but when educational institutions become hunting grounds for bandits and terrorists, the future of the nation itself is being held for ransom,” he stated.
The group called on the Federal Government to immediately deploy security assets to secure the unconditional release of the abducted schoolchildren.
It warned against a repeat of prolonged school abductions previously experienced in parts of the country.
The group also urged governors in the South-West region, particularly the Osun State Government, to strengthen inter-state collaboration, intelligence sharing and border security to prevent criminal activities within the zone.
“We call on the governments of the South-West states, particularly our own Osun State government, to actively collaborate, fortify border security, and strengthen intelligence sharing cooperation,” Oyedokun-Alli said.
Speaking on political developments in Osun State, the organisation expressed concern over the rising political intolerance and inflammatory rhetoric ahead of the governorship election scheduled for August 15.
The group said there had been “an increase in cyberbullying, mutual accusations, character assassination and threats among supporters of opposing political parties in the state.”
Oyedokun-Alli warned political actors against turning democratic competition into violence, noting that ordinary residents were often the victims of political unrest.
“With the election less than three months away, we must remind our politicians that opposition politics is an arena for competing development ideas, not a battleground for warfare,” he said.
The organisation called on political parties to caution their supporters and embrace issue-based campaigns, while urging security agencies in Osun State to remain non-partisan and swiftly address any attempt to incite electoral violence or disrupt public peace.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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