THE WAR THAT IS IMMINENT
By Otunba Deji Osibogun
Many of the viral videos resurfacing today depicting scenes of chaos and insecurity are between 3 to 5 years old, mostly recorded at the peak of the banditry crisis in Northern Nigeria. Yet, they are now being deliberately recycled and circulated to instill fear, uncertainty, and despair in the minds of Nigerians.
But while some may dismiss this as propaganda, the threat is real and it is no longer confined to the North. The operations of terrorist groups have stealthily shifted southward. Heavily armed and organized elements have taken root in our forests and now blend among our people masquerading as commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders. From Jebba to Lagos, Ilaro to Aba, they are here in the hundreds.
These are not ordinary young men. They are highly trained, fearless, and ruthless. Their mode of transportation motorcycles is not accidental. Watch them ride, and you’ll understand their complete disregard for danger or life. They gather in clusters at strategic points junctions, market squares, garages, and even within high-brow residential areas.
Their language is unfamiliar—not Hausa, nor the commonly spoken Fulani dialect. Many are taught Fulfude not as a native tongue, but as a survival language and a tool for future operations.
Most sleep on or beside their motorcycles during the day. What they do at night remains a mystery. They move in packs. They study our communities. They conduct reconnaissance. They blend in.
Intelligence sources suggest they now possess deep knowledge of the layouts of all major cities across the South Ilorin, Ogbomosho, Owo, Akure, Ijebu Ode, Ibadan, Osogbo, Ikoyi, Festac, Shagamu, Ogere, Mushin, and beyond. They are not only present but have embedded themselves deeply across all South-Western states. The threat is not only imminent it is strategic.
These so-called Almajiris, transported in trailers during the COVID lockdown and other periods, are not just street children. They are being deployed intentionally and systematically as an occupying force. Most of them have obtained National Identification Numbers (NIN) registered from Southern states, giving them eligibility to vote in the 2027 elections.
Make no mistake the long-prophesied vision of “dipping the Qur’an in the Atlantic Ocean” may not come on horseback. It will come on motorcycles, supported by regional alliances possibly from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Think back: five years ago, several Northern states banned motorcycles and restricted Almajiri movement. Where did they all go? They didn’t disappear. They were exported southwards. We saw them arrive. We watched them settle.
The 10-year-old Almajiri boy banned in the North five years ago is now 15 fluent in Yoruba or Igbo living among us and potentially primed for a mission he’s been trained to execute.
Our problem is no longer lack of knowledge it is our tendency to overanalyze without acting. If we continue to approach this existential threat with indifference and complacency, paralysis is inevitable.
Our dangerous overdependence on motorcycles for transport in major Southern cities is not only unsustainable it is an open invitation to chaos. Worse still, it signals a failure of leadership and a glaring reluctance to improve our public transport systems.
THE WAY FORWARD
We must act decisively and urgently.
Effective June 2025, there must be a total ban and legislative prohibition on the use of commercial motorcycles (Okada) in all major towns and cities across the South-West.
This is not merely a transport reform. It is a security imperative. A stitch in time could save us from unraveling completely. Delay is dangerous. Denial is deadly.
May we rise to protect our land before it is too late.
© Otunba Deji Osibogun
