The South West Governors’ Forum, comprising the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo states, has agreed to establish a joint security surveillance to tackle terrorists under the banner of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province.
This was revealed after a meeting of all the six governors in the region. namely, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), on Thursday, held at the Governor’s Office, Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
The move comes amid earlier reports of infiltration of the terrorists into some forests in the South West region.
Makinde had warned in January that bandits fleeing military operations in the North-West were seeking refuge in the Oyo.
At a 2025 annual inter-faith service for workers held at the Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Makinde said, ‘During a security briefing this morning, I learnt that some bad elements from the North-West are relocating here due to military heat in their zones. But we will find and deal with them’.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had also recently arrested 10 suspected members of ISWAP in Ilesa, Osun State.
The arrest came to public knowledge when the DSS in January sought an order from a Federal High Court in Abuja to detain the suspects for 60 days, an order Justice Emeka Nwite granted.
After Thursday’s extensive deliberations, which began around 12 pm and ended around 4 pm, the Forum, in a communique read out to journalists by Governor Sanwo-Olu, said it acknowledged the threats of ISWAP activities in the region and condemned it in its totality.
The governors stated their resolve to combat the terrorists with technology including the use of aerial surveillance.
Sanwo-Olu, who is the chairman of the Forum, said, ‘Acknowledging the threat posed by ISWAP activities in parts of the South West, the Forum strongly condemns any threat to the region’s security. It encourages enhanced collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and local security outfits, urging them to remain vigilant. The Forum also commits to taking necessary actions to counter these threats.
‘The Forum agreed to establish a Joint Surveillance Monitoring Team to oversee and coordinate security efforts across the South-West region. As part of this resolution, the Forum has committed to deploying advanced technology, including aerial surveillance systems to enhance security operations.
‘Additionally, the Forum resolved that its Special Advisers on Security collaborate on intelligence gathering and sharing between state security agencies, local security networks, and federal law enforcement authorities among the South-West states’.
The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) had in January urged all the six governors of the South-West to treat as a security emergency, the building of camps inside forests by insurgents and terrorists fleeing the North.
In a statement by its President, Wasiu Afolabi, the OPC said, ‘These foreign Fulani terrorists have always said that after conquering the North, the South will be next. Now it is happening.
‘But the OPC is ready to let these evil dreamers know that Yorubaland can never be conquered or occupied by foreign invaders. Let the six governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states invite us to deal with this menace today before it is too late.
Army, Amotekun partner
On Thursday, the Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade of Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Justin Ifeanyi, said the Army would continue to work together with the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, in the fight against criminality in the state.
The army commander acknowledged that the military’s successes in battling crimes in the state was hinged largely on actionable information provided by operatives of Amotekun.
Ifeanyi stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the state Amotekun Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, in his office Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Thursday
He said, ‘From what I was told, the army has been working in synergy particularly at the local level with your (Amotekun) operatives. Most of your men are infused in all the local government areas. They have been passing actionable information.
‘We want the already established synergy to continue and we like to move it to the next level. We will try and cooperate and work with your people to curtail crime. The prevalent crime is kidnapping’.
In his response , the Amotekun Commander said the established synergy between the Amotekun and Nigerian Army was still in tact, saying it had been a success story between the two security agencies and ‘we want the synergy to continue’.
DSS seeks community support
In a related development, the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, has said that communities play a crucial role in securing themselves against criminal elements including terrorist and bandits, stating that they must serve as the first line of defence.
Speaking at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja on Thursday, Ajayi recounted historical instances where communities successfully defended themselves against insurgents, particularly in Azare and Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State.
He said, ‘Most of you will remember an incident in Azare. A group of terrorists, Boko Haram, had invaded Azare. They were shooting in an attempt to kidnap, but the community chased them away. They killed some members of the community, but the community members killed all of them. The last guy, Khaled, climbed onto a tree and was shot. The community stood their ground, they were resilient, and they killed Khaled.
‘Since that day, there has not been a single terrorist attack in Azare’.
He added, ‘The people of Bogoro and some parts of Tafawa Balewa rose up on one occasion. They knew their territory better, climbing onto trees and mountains when the invaders came. They did not only repel them, but they also seized their weapons, and since then, you can hardly hear of any attacks in that community. What I’m trying to say is that the practical approach to mobilising people is to get everyone involved’.
Ajayi stressed that it was impossible for security agencies to protect all Nigerians, adding that the country must make communities the first line of defence.
Forum commends Tinubu
Meanwhile, the South-West Governors’ Forum commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the economic stability and improvements recorded across the nation, ‘particularly in the sustained supply and distribution of petroleum products and the stabilisation of the exchange rate’.
The governors urged citizens to continue supporting the President’s efforts to strengthen the economy and improve the overall well-being of Nigerians.
The Forum applauded the Federal Government for the successful implementation of the Student Loan Scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The governors noted that the scheme had benefited South-West students in tertiary institutions.
‘It encourages all eligible students in the region to take full advantage of this initiative to access higher education, vocational training, and skills acquisition programmes’, Sanwo-Olu stated.
As of December 2024, NELFund had disbursed over N104 billion to students in Nigerian tertiary institutions across the country since the inception of the student loan scheme, according to data obtained from the body.
The disbursed funds encompassed institutional fees paid directly to the institutions of applicants and upkeep loans paid directly to the account number provided by the applicants.
The governors also commended the FG and the Senate for establishing the South West Development Commission and collectively agreed to situate its headquarters at Cocoa House, Ibadan, Oyo State.
‘The Forum acknowledges the efforts of Odu’a Investment Company Ltd. in efficiently managing joint assets of the South West region over the past five years. It also commends the company’s Board and Management for the ongoing redevelopment of the Premier Hotel in Ibadan, Oyo State, and the proposed redevelopment of the Lagos Airport Hotel in Lagos State’, the communique added,
S’West govs to tackle food inflation
The Forum, while recognising the need for food security, encouraged collaboration among the South-West states to implement collective measures aimed at curbing food inflation in the region.
The Forum expressed concern over the activities of ‘unscrupulous middlemen’ who deliberately inflate prices of goods and commodities in the markets.
It, therefore, agreed to establish a State Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team and also the establishment of Aggregation Centre/Food Hubs to foster inter-state collaboration and mitigate food inflation.
Conclusively, the governors commended the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission for its improved performance over the past 12 months and encouraged it to continue working diligently with the South West commissioners for agriculture on industrialisation and infrastructural development across the region
Thursday’s meeting was a follow-up to a similar one held in Lagos on 10 June 2024, where Governor Sanwo-Olu was unanimously appointed as Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum.
Since its last meeting, the forum under the leadership of Sanwo-Olu had prioritised policies aimed at strengthening regional development in the South-West zone.
