Insecurity: South West Governors announce Regional Security Fund, Joint Intelligence System 

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Governors of the six South West states have unveiled a series of major security and development initiatives following a high-level meeting of the South West Governors’ Forum held on Monday at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, attended by the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States, the Forum said it deliberated extensively on agriculture, security, migration, illegal mining, regional development and ongoing national challenges.

The governors began by commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what they described as “the fight against insecurity and various economic reforms,” noting that the region “expresses solidarity with the Federal Government in its efforts in Kebbi, Kwara and Niger States after the recent spate of kidnappings.”

According to the communiqué, the Forum praised the “swift response of the Federal Government” in the rescue of abducted persons in Kwara State and “more than 51 students of the Catholic School, Niger State.”

In one of the most significant resolutions, the governors announced the creation of a South West Security Fund (SWSF) to be managed under the DAWN Commission and coordinated by Special Advisers on Security from all six states.

The governors said the fund would help strengthen collective security capacity across the region.

The Forum also unveiled plans for a live, digital intelligence-sharing platform to link security operations across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti.

According to the communiqué, the platform will facilitate “threat notifications, incident logs, traveller and cargo alerts and state-to-state rapid response coordination.”

The governors raised the alarm over growing criminal activity in forests across the South West and called on the Federal Government to deploy forest guards across the region.

They commended the NSCDC, Hunters Group, Amotekun Corps members and other agencies, but stressed that the region needs “enhanced forest surveillance” because the vast forest belts “have become hideouts for criminal elements.”

The communiqué added that all six states remain “committed to reclaiming the forests and ensuring these spaces no longer serve as safe corridors for banditry, kidnapping or any form of criminal activity.”

The Forum expressed deep concern over unregulated interstate migration, warning that it is becoming “a conduit for insecurity.”

It called for stricter border monitoring, improved data collection and collaboration with NIMC to ensure proper identification of migrants.

The governors also condemned the rise of illegal mining in the region, describing it as a threat to “environmental safety, public health and regional security.”

They demanded a stronger licensing framework and “strict enforcement actions against violators who may perpetrate violent crimes under the guise of mining.”

Reaffirming longstanding calls for decentralised policing, the Forum stated unequivocally that its support for state police remains unwavering, declaring that “The time is now and it can no longer be delayed.”

The governors applauded the Federal Government’s efforts in boosting food production and praised South West farmers for increased output, which they said has contributed to “stability and reduction in food prices.”

They also thanked President Tinubu for establishing the South West Development Commission (SWDC), urging it to “effectively deliver on its mandate,” while commending the DAWN Commission for its ongoing work on regional integration.

The meeting ended with an appeal for unity across the region.

The communiqué urged residents to remain committed to the peace and religious tolerance for which the South West is known, emphasising that “we remain one, indivisible entity.”