Southern Nigerian states are deploying a mix of technology, traditional hunters, legislative reforms, and coordinated patrols to preemptively counter the southward incursion of bandits from the north.
Southern Nigerian states are launching a coordinated counter-offensive as bandit movements push deeper from the north toward southern territories, stirring unprecedented fear from Oyo to the Niger Delta. Governors are blending technology, legislative action, and traditional structures to secure vulnerable border forests and creeks. Following an emergency South-West summit in Ibadan, states are prioritizing preemptive operations and integrating non-state security actors. “These measures are not random responses,” said Ondo Governor’s spokesman Ebenezer Adeniyan. “They are deliberate steps designed to secure the forests before any infiltration can take deep root.” The Southern Governors Forum has endorsed intensified patrols and intelligence-sharing to close jurisdictional gaps exploited by criminals.
State-specific strategies reveal a region on high alert. Ondo activated “Operation Le Won Jade” and is recruiting 500 new Amotekun operatives. “We have driven miscreants, bandits and kidnappers out of the forests,” declared Amotekun Commander Chief Adetunji Adeleye. Oyo deployed licensed hunters into Oke-Ogun forests, while Enugu utilizes surveillance drones over migration corridors. Ekiti’s governor issued a seven-day ultimatum for non-indigenes to vacate a disputed border farmland, stating, “We won’t wait for our people to be killed before taking action.” Ogun mandates documentation of foreign nationals, and Rivers has recalibrated its border security using drone-fed intelligence platforms. Anambra heightened coastline patrols, and Cross River increased patrols by 40%. Despite the regional focus, Akwa Ibom’s governor recently prioritized banning traditional ‘Ekpo’ masquerades over bandit threats, while the police commissioner cautioned against fake news causing panic.