The Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dayo Apata ,SAN has called for a united front against terrorism, describing the menace as an existential threat that must be confronted collectively through lawful and sustainable strategies.
Apata made the call during a stakeholders’ engagement at the South-West Strategic Conference on Human Rights, Counter-Terrorism and Sustainable Development organised by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) on May 14 in Ado-Ekiti.
Represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions in the state Ministry of Justice, Mr Kunle Akinlabi, the attorney-general commended the CDHR for convening the conference at what he described as a critical time for the nation.
Speaking on the conference theme, “Together Against Terrorism (TAN),” Apata said the phrase was not merely rhetorical but a sober recognition that the security challenges confronting Nigeria demand collective responsibility.
He stressed that citizens must unite against terrorism and reject any attempt by violent groups to undermine the nation’s social contract.
“The terrorists’ objective is not merely to inflict casualties, but to assassinate our liberties, provoke the state into unlawful reprisals and sow discord between government and the governed,” he said.
Apata described the CDHR as the conscience of society, noting that the organisation had consistently defended the rights to life, dignity and fair hearing as fundamental entitlements of every citizen.
According to him, the human rights community should not be seen as an obstacle to security agencies but as a moral compass that ensures counter-terrorism measures remain just, lawful and sustainable.
He warned that any counter-terrorism operation built on extrajudicial killings, torture or arbitrary detention would ultimately fail under legal scrutiny and public discontent.
The attorney-general said the South-West, with its rich Omoluabi values and deep legal consciousness, must model a sophisticated, community-driven and intelligence-based response to insurgency and violent extremism.
He urged citizens to forge stronger partnerships with traditional rulers and activate local conflict-resolution mechanisms to curb terrorism and related security threats.
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In his remarks, the National Chairman of CDHR, Comrade Yinka Folarin, described the conference as a timely intervention necessitated by growing threats of terrorism, violent extremism, insecurity and attacks on human dignity.
Folarin said addressing insecurity should not be left to government and security agencies alone, stressing that citizens, community leaders, civil society groups, traditional institutions, intellectuals and development partners all have critical roles to play.
Also speaking, a resource person from the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Dr Anthony Abayomi, said terrorist groups often seek territorial control, forceful imposition of ideology, economic domination and social unrest.
He urged security agencies to work closely with local and community-based security networks, as well as traditional institutions, to find lasting solutions to the spread of terrorism in the country.
Dignitaries at the event included a representative of the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Julius Ajibare; the Olomuo of Omuo Kingdom, Oba Noah Omonigbeyin; Ekiti State FIDA Chairperson, Mrs Ayobami Richard; a representative of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr Bayo Babalola; a representative of the Department of State Services, Mrs Olayemi Ologunye; and members of various civil society organisations.