Region on Red Alert: Governors Introduce Tough New Security Blueprint to Protect South-West Communities
Governors of the South-West region on Monday, November 24, 2025, rose from an emergency meeting in Ibadan with what has been widely described as the most forceful and far-reaching regional security decisions taken in years, unveiling a new defence architecture designed to confront escalating threats across the zone.
The meeting, held at the Oyo State Government Secretariat, brought together Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, and Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke was represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi.
Confronted with growing forest-based criminality, porous borders and rising interstate migration, the governors approved a series of sweeping measures, including the establishment of a South-West Security Fund (SWSF) — a regional war chest aimed at financing joint operations, surveillance systems, rapid responses and intelligence-driven interventions. The fund will be domiciled under the DAWN Commission and managed by the Forum of Special Advisers on Security, which will meet monthly to coordinate actions.
In a communiqué presented by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Forum also approved a real-time digital intelligence-sharing system linking all six states. The platform, he said, will “exchange threat notifications, incident logs, traveller and cargo alerts, and coordinate state-to-state rapid response,” giving the region a unified defence grid capable of intercepting cross-border criminal movement.
Raising serious concerns over what they described as “unregulated interstate migration that continues to pose significant challenges,” the governors directed immediate tightening of all land borders, mandatory biometric registration for travellers, and deeper collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to track suspicious movements.
The communiqué strongly emphasized reclaiming the region’s forest belts, which have in recent years become operational hideouts for kidnappers, illegal loggers, bandits and extremist-linked groups. The governors urged the Federal Government to expedite the deployment of Forest Guards across the region, stating that the states are ready to provide the necessary personnel. They commended the NSCDC, hunters’ groups and the Amotekun Corps for their ongoing roles in safeguarding communities.
Reiterating a demand they described as overdue, the governors renewed calls for the creation of state police. “The time is now. It can no longer be delayed,” the communiqué stated, reflecting the Forum’s strongest collective push yet for constitutional decentralisation of policing.
The governors commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for “the fight against insecurity, various economic reforms and other developmental agenda,” adding that the region stands firmly with the Federal Government in responding to recent kidnappings in Kebbi, Kwara and Niger states. They praised the “swift response” that led to the rescue of abducted Kwara worshippers and over 51 schoolchildren in Niger State.
On food security, the Forum applauded ongoing national efforts toward agricultural sustainability, acknowledging farmers across the South-West for increased production and the resultant stability in food prices. They also thanked President Tinubu for establishing the South-West Development Commission, urging the body to “effectively deliver on its mandate.”
The communiqué concluded by reaffirming the unity of the region and its long-standing culture of peaceful co-existence, declaring: “We remain one, indivisible entity that will continue to enjoy and guard the religious tolerance that we have always been known for.”
