The governors of Nigeria’s six Southwest states have convened an urgent, closed-door meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, to address pressing regional security concerns.
Hosted by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the meeting is expected to be attended by all six governors (Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti).
Key discussion points will center on tackling rising threats, including a review of collaborative security efforts like the Amotekun Corps to enhance its capacity.
The governors are also likely to address the threat posed by ISWAP terrorist activities and reported insurgent infiltration into the region’s forests.
Beyond security, the meeting aims to accelerate infrastructure development and strengthen regional cooperation under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN).
In February, the governors had agreed to establish a joint security surveillance team to combat terrorism and implement measures to curb food inflation.
Persecondnews recalls that on November 18, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, raised the alarm that terrorists and bandits operating from forests in the Southwest are plotting to launch attacks on the region if urgent steps are not taken to curb the planned attack.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Iba Adams warned that some terrorists and bandits have occupied various forests in Kogi, Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, parts of Edo, and Delta states.
He, however, urged the people to be vigilant and utilise local intelligence gathering mechanisms to address the security threat.
He also berated the South West governors for failing to work on his proposals for a Southwest Security Summit and called for urgent action before the situation becomes unbearable.
His said: “These are perilous times in Yorubaland. From Kogi to Kwara, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, parts of Edo and Delta states, the ominous signs are there.
“Merchants of death have surrounded the more than 60 million inhabitants of this geographical space. The bloodthirsty maniacs don’t have good intentions for the peace-loving people of our area.
“Rather, they are waiting for the signal from their foreign sponsors to invade this land, kill mercilessly, and take over people’s ancestral inheritance.
“More than a year ago, I raised the alarm through a letter I wrote and sent to our Governors to immediately partner with us to flush out all these undesirable elements from our forests. Pitiably, there was no response from them.”
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