The traditional ruler of Iwoye-Ketu in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Isaac Oyero, has raised serious concerns over the absence of adequate security presence in the border community, warning that the situation has left the area exposed to criminal activities.

The monarch also condemned the recent attack on operatives of the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service at Akokoro, one of the villages under Iwoye-Ketu, during which two officers were injured. He described the incident as barbaric and a stark reflection of the worsening insecurity in the area.

In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Abel Babatunde, and made available to journalists on Sunday, Oba Oyero said Iwoye-Ketu has for years been at the mercy of armed herders, kidnappers and armed robbers due to weak security architecture.

According to the monarch, the entire community, with a population of over 25,000 people based on the 2006 census, is currently served by only three poorly equipped police officers, despite the existence of a newly constructed police station that remains largely unoccupied because of logistical challenges.

He added that the situation has created a dangerous vacuum, allowing criminal elements to exploit vast border spaces, abandoned farmlands and forest reserves that stretch across the Nigeria–Benin boundary.

“The porosity of the Iwoye-Ketu border has made it easy for foreign criminal elements to move in and out with relative ease,” the monarch said. “Ironically, much of the security stability in some parts of our area is currently provided by the well-equipped Beninese police stationed on the Republic of Benin side, rather than Nigerian security agencies.”

Oba Oyero explained that the nearest Nigerian security response point is located in Imeko, about 20 kilometres away, making rapid intervention during emergencies extremely difficult, especially in remote border settlements.

While acknowledging the existence of cross-border trade in commodities such as rice and fuel — common to many Nigerian border towns — the monarch dismissed allegations that a 12-tyre truck was transporting illicit drugs through Iwoye-Ketu, describing such claims as alien to the history and character of the community.

“The allegation of large-scale drug trafficking through our area is shocking and does not reflect the values or activities of the people of Iwoye-Ketu,” he said.

He called on the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the attack on its operatives and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

The monarch renewed his appeal to the Federal Government and relevant security agencies to urgently establish a fully equipped and operational security base in Iwoye-Ketu, similar to the one on the Beninese side of the border.

“This will not only protect our people but also strengthen Nigeria’s border security and disrupt the activities of transnational criminal networks,” he said.

Reaffirming his community’s support for lawful authorities, Oba Oyero stressed that Iwoye-Ketu remains peaceful, law-abiding and patriotic, and is ready to continue collaborating with security agencies to combat crime and safeguard the border area.