Southern Governors Warn of Escalating Security Threats, Praise Tinubu’s Swift Action in Ogun
The Southern Governors’ Forum has praised President Bola Tinubu for his swift response to recent security threats affecting parts of Nigeria.
Speaking at a regional meeting of southern state governors in Iperu on Wednesday, Ogun State Governor and Forum Chairman, Dapo Abiodun, commended the president for his leadership in handling the wave of schoolchild abductions.
Governor Abiodun highlighted that President Tinubu’s personal involvement in coordinating rescue efforts, rather than delegating the responsibility, demonstrated a rare dedication to protecting every Nigerian life. He noted that the successful recovery of abducted students reflects a security approach that is now more coordinated, intelligence-driven, and responsive.
“The president’s prompt action reassures Nigerians that the safety of children is a top national priority,” Abiodun said, adding that Nigeria will not allow criminals, insurgents, or opportunists to threaten national stability.
He emphasized that leadership is measured not just by policy but by empathy, urgency, and decisive action. Abiodun also pointed to the president’s ambitious infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto–Badagry superhighway, which he said are transformative investments that will boost trade, strengthen national integration, and reshape Nigeria’s economy.
The governor described the southern governors’ meeting as more than a gathering based on geography. “It is a union of shared aspirations, common challenges, and a collective drive to build a stable and prosperous future,” he said, recalling the cooperative spirit of the old Southern Protectorate long before Nigeria’s 1914 amalgamation.
Abiodun stressed that southern Nigeria faces a critical moment, with rising security threats and economic pressures demanding coordinated leadership. He reiterated that state police are a non-negotiable element of true federalism and grassroots security.
He also called for a Regional Rapid Response Fund to support emergency deployments, rescue operations, forensic work, and inter-state training. At the state level, he urged measures such as proper documentation of foreign nationals, dismantling unlawful enclaves, regulating scavenger activities, intensified forest operations, and cracking down on illegal mining.
Community policing, he added, remains vital. By empowering local communities, traditional rulers, and neighborhood structures to collaborate with security agencies, early warning systems improve, trust is strengthened, and interventions become more effective in protecting schools, farms, border towns, and critical road corridors.
Abiodun concluded that southern states must strengthen joint security task forces, share intelligence seamlessly, and adopt regional strategies to meet challenges together. “I am confident we can chart a path of peace, prosperity, and sustainable development for southern Nigeria,” he said.
The meeting was attended by the governors of Ekiti, Enugu, Ondo, Rivers, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, Lagos, Bayelsa, and Imo states, while Cross Rivers, Edo, Oyo, and Osun were represented by officials.
