The Southwest Governors’ Forum on Monday announced plans to create a South West Regional Security Fund to strengthen the region’s response to insecurity, especially rising incidents of kidnapping, banditry, illegal mining, and unregulated interstate migration.
It was gathered the decision was arrived at a meeting of the six governors held at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the Forum said the fund will be managed by the DAWN Commission and supervised by the Special Advisers on Security from all six states will support coordinated operations, joint intelligence sharing, and rapid response initiatives across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states.
The governors also approved the establishment of a live, digital intelligence-sharing platform that will enable real-time exchange of threat alerts, incident reports, and inter-state security communication.
On forest security, the Governors urged the Federal Government to support the deployment of Forest Guards across the region to reclaim forest belts currently used as hideouts by criminal elements.
Concerned about unregulated interstate migration, the governors called for stricter border monitoring and collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission to ensure proper identification of migrants and prevent criminal infiltration.
The Forum further raised alarm over the rise in illegal mining activities, calling for a stronger licensing framework and tougher enforcement to curb environmental and security threats linked to unlawful mining operations.
The Southwest Governors, reaffirming their long-standing position, declared that the establishment of State Police “can no longer be delayed.
They also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for security interventions in states recently affected by kidnappings and for ongoing economic reforms, while urging sustained attention on regional development.
The Forum advised residents of the Southwest to remain united and committed to peace, describing the region as an indivisible entity known for religious tolerance and cooperation.
