Southwest governors, citing rising insecurity, have renewed their call for State Police, unveiled a regional security framework, and announced new measures including a unified intelligence platform and a dedicated security fund, while praising federal rescue efforts and urging stronger forest and border protection.
Following heightened insecurity across the region, Southwest governors meeting in Ibadan declared that State Police “can no longer be delayed” as they unveiled a new regional security architecture aimed at protecting lives and property.
The communique, read by Forum Chairman and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, outlined key decisions including the creation of a South West Security Fund under the DAWN Commission, a live digital intelligence-sharing network for all six states, and urgent calls for enhanced forest surveillance as criminal elements increasingly infiltrate forest belts. The governors also raised concerns over “unregulated interstate migration,” escalating illegal mining, and reaffirmed their collective commitment to reclaiming forests “so they no longer serve as safe corridors for banditry.”
They commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his interventions in national security and rescue operations, expressing solidarity with federal efforts in Kebbi, Kwara and Niger states, praising the “swift response” that led to recent rescues. The Forum further lauded progress in food production, the establishment of the South-West Development Commission, and the work of the DAWN Commission, while urging residents to stay united, noting that “We remain one, indivisible entity that will continue to enjoy and guard the religious tolerance that we have always been known for.”