Reports of the influx of bandits fleeing from the Northwest into the Southwest region of the country could have instinctively kept the concerned governors on the edge. This is not unexpected because, as chief executives, governors have the mandate to ensure the security and welfare of citizens within their domains. Call them de facto Chief Security Officers by of their powers and you’re on point. On the flipside, cynics see governors as “generals without an army”.
However, behind the security apparati that hold forth in the states are the chief executives enabling the operations of the men on the field with intelligence, logistics and equipment. Governors also fund local vigilante who work in sync with state commands, carrying out street patrols and providing intelligence.
A case in point is the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), which was established in 2007 and became a funding model for other states in the country. The LSSTF enhance operations of the Police command in Lagos with vehicles, security gadgets and other logistics. And for states in the South West, not only have they leveraged on their proximity to the Centre of Excellence, there exists among them a centripetal force that has survived years of Nigeria’s political evolution, from independence till date. Governors in the region had often shunned primordial sentiments, political differences to forge a strong economic bloc in advancing the interests of the region. In addition to that is their swift responses to insecurity along their common borders which calls for a united front against the common enemy.
Flashback to when Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde raised the alarm that bandits from the Northwest are fleeing to the southern states. According to Makinde, the development was not unconnected with the military onslaught on the brigands forcing them to flee through Binin Gwari forests in Kebbi, Kaduna and Niger States to Oyo State. “I learned 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”, he said.
Makinde’s alarm actually sent shock waves across the region, raising concerns among stakeholders who believe the security of Southwest states is sacrosanct. Like a battle foretold, which must not consume the lame, elders of the land have turned to Oodua governors for succour. The concerns were expedient owing to the political importance of Ibadan and as gateway to other states in the region. If the forests of Oke Ogun could come under threat, what then was the prospect of the stretch through Ife, Ilesa, Ondo to Ekiti States? The fear became palpable after men of the Department of State Services recently arrested 10 suspected members of Islami State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Ilesa, Osun State. Amid all this is the scary statistics about the spate of kidnappings for ransom, ritual killings and ransom money paid by households in the troubled zones of the Northwest, North Central, Southeast and South South zones. Granted that kidnapping incidents in the Southwest is lowest in the country, the people are not complacent.
Interestingly, southwest governors, led by the Chairman of the forum, Babajide Sanwo-Olu are strategising on how to rid the Southwest of bad elements. Working with the template of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, which conceptualised the formation of South West Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, the states helmsmen say they have mobilised over 2,000 Amotekun Corps comprising forest rangers, hunters and local vigilante to flush out bandits and other criminals elements from the zone. Ogun and Osun States top the list with targeted 1,000 recruits each, while Oyo recruited 480 men last October as part of efforts to secure the region. Lagos State, on its part, boasts of layers of security apparati including the state owned Lagos State Neighborhood Safery Corps. The corps boast of over 6,000 strong members providing intelligence for the mainstream security personnel. The Amotekun mobilisation in the region is continuing as the concerned states are determined to further strengthen the existing outfit with more men and materials.
Auspiciously leading from the front, a couple of weeks ago, Sanwo-Olu had allayed fears arising from the reports from Oyo State, noting he was consulting with his counterparts in Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti States on plans to ward off bandits from the region. His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Gboyega Akosile said the governor has been receiving daily intelligence on the state of security in the region. He reiterated the governor’s preparedness to handle security matters in the region and has been on top of the game via consultations and constant briefings on developments on the field.
Akosile said: “If you recall the inaugural meeting of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, one of the major topics raised at the meeting was the security of the region. So they’ve been meeting on some of the ways to checkmate insecurity in the Southwest. Not in the least of their strategies was their affirmation of the establishment of state police. Basically, they’re studying the situation and there will be something done at the end of the day”.
On security, the Forum commends the relative peace in the Southwest region and notes the collaboration between all security agencies and the Amotekun Corps.
Inspired by Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos, the southwest has indeed become a relatively safe region.
