South-west governors meet in Ibadan over insecurity

Governors from the south-west geopolitical zone met behind closed doors in Ibadan on Monday over the security challenges in the country. 

The Southwest Governors’ Forum (SGF) held the session at the Oyo state secretariat in Agodi and were hosted by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos and chair of the regional forum, attended the meeting.

Other governors present were Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti state.

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun state, was represented by Kola Adeusi, his deputy.

The purpose of the gathering is yet to be officially stated, although it is believed to be linked to the country’s security situation.

The south-west meeting comes amid a series of abductions in Kebbi and Niger, where schoolchildren were seized by bandits, as well as the recent kidnapping of worshippers in a church in Kwara.

Beyond security, the session is also expected to fast-track infrastructure development and deepen cooperation under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN).

They are also expected to review ongoing collaborative security initiatives, including the operations of the Amotekun Corps, with a view to enhancing its capacity amid emerging challenges.

In February, the governors resolved to set up a joint surveillance unit to confront terrorism and introduce measures to ease food inflation.

On November 18, Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, alleged that terrorists and bandits had infiltrated forests in the south-west and were plotting coordinated attacks.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos, Adams said the groups were occupying forest areas in Kogi, Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, and stretches of Edo and Delta.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and to strengthen local intelligence networks, while criticising the governors for failing to act on his proposals for a regional security summit.

“These are perilous times in Yorubalan; from Kogi to Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, parts of Edo and Delta states, the ominous signs are there,” he said.

“Merchants of death have surrounded the more than 60 million inhabitants of this geographical space.

“The bloodthirsty maniacs don’t have good intentions for the peace-loving people of our area.

“Rather, they are waiting for the signal from their foreign sponsors to invade this land, kill mercilessly, and take over people’s ancestral inheritance.

“More than a year ago, I raised the alarm through a letter I wrote and sent to our governors to immediately partner with us to flush out all these undesirable elements from our forests. Pitiably, there was no response from them.”