The abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers in Oyo State has reignited debate over the role of traditional powers in tackling insecurity, with Yoruba monarchs and traditionalists backing the Ooni of Ife’s call for ancestral solutions.
The continued captivity of dozens of pupils and teachers abducted by terrorists in Oyo State has triggered fresh debate over how to tackle worsening insecurity across Yorubaland.
According to Vanguard, the controversy followed comments by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who urged traditional rulers to deploy ancestral powers against kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements terrorising communities.
The call came nearly a month after armed terrorists stormed Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School and Community High School in Ahoro-Esinele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 39 pupils and students, alongside seven teachers. A teacher and a pupil reportedly died during the ordeal, while the remaining victims are still being held in captivity.
At the grand finale of the 2026 Ifa Festival, the Ooni described the abduction as painful and unacceptable.
“We must bring together our traditional powers, spiritual heritage, and communal values to chase bandits, kidnappers, and all criminal elements out of Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
While some residents dismissed the suggestion as outdated in an era of sophisticated weapons and modern warfare, several traditional rulers and custodians of Yoruba culture rallied behind the monarch.
The Olojudo of Ido and former Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro, insisted that traditional spiritual methods remain effective.
“Our native means are very potent and effective for people who know how to use it and where to do the original thing,” he said.
“Spiritual powers still exist among some Yoruba people, and that is why those unscrupulous herders are afraid of Yoruba land. It is not all about guns. Our people have been capturing them even with their AK-47.”
Renowned traditionalist, Ogundeji Elebuibon, also argued that forests across the South-West could be secured without firing a shot.
“It is very possible and doable to protect the vast forest across the southwest without shooting a gun,” he said.
Elebuibon, however, stressed that government support was crucial, calling on South-West governors to convene a regional security summit involving traditional authorities and custodians of indigenous security practices.
As outrage grows over the fate of the abducted pupils and teachers, the debate highlights mounting frustration with conventional security efforts and increasing calls for alternative approaches to safeguarding communities.
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