Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, says more than 80,000 volunteers have registered with the Iru Ekun Security Network across the South-West, surpassing the outfit’s initial target of 50,000 personnel.
In a statement issued on Monday, Igboho said the strong enrolment reflects the commitment of Yoruba communities to combating kidnapping, terrorism and other violent crimes through community-based security efforts.
He stated that the security outfit has already been launched in Oyo and Osun states, while its launch in Kwara State is scheduled for Thursday. He added that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other stakeholders are supporting the initiative.
Igboho said all prospective members undergo background checks to prevent the infiltration of individuals with criminal records. He also claimed that kidnapping cases have declined significantly across the South-West, attributing the improvement to intelligence gathering by local communities and collaboration with federal security agencies.
He acknowledged the support of the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as senior security officials, including Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Deputy Inspector-General Tunji Disu, DSS Director-General Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Igboho also commended South-West governors for backing the initiative and urged Nigerians to treat security as a collective responsibility.
