The South-West geopolitical zone, long considered a bastion of relative peace in Nigeria, is facing a new wave of insecurity that threatens both lives and livelihoods. Rising kidnappings, banditry, and violent clashes between herders and farmers have forced stakeholders to rethink strategies at the recently held South-West National Security Summit in Lagos.
The 10th Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on National Security convened the summit, drawing government officials, lawmakers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women groups, and civil society organizations to the heart of Lagos. The goal: crafting indigenous solutions to a rapidly evolving security landscape.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Dr. Ayo Ogunsan of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, delivered a stark warning. “The South-West can no longer rely solely on its reputation for peace,” Dr. Ogunsan cited the Governor, noting hundreds of kidnappings each month and the infiltration of armed groups into forests and border areas.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that security is inseparable from economic survival. “A region that cannot promise safety cannot promise prosperity. What were once isolated incidents have now become ongoing and more complex,” he said. His call to action centered on modernizing the Amotekun Corps into a technology-driven, unified force capable of cross-state intelligence sharing and joint operations.
The summit highlighted the role of traditional institutions. Sanwo-Olu noted that local leaders understand their communities better than anyone and must remain central to security strategies. He also called for better intelligence networks, early-warning systems, and enhanced community involvement.
Past summits, he warned, often ended with commendable resolutions but lacked follow-through. This time, he advocated a monitoring and evaluation framework with timelines, designated responsibilities, and transparent reporting across the six states in the South-West.
Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, in his opening remarks, set the tone for a regional approach to national security. While terrorism has not fully hit the South-West, he said, “banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes are deeply troubling, particularly for rural communities and farmlands.”
Senator Ibrahim Jimoh and Senator Gbenga Daniel emphasized a people-centered security strategy. Jimoh suggested combining military and civilian efforts, while Daniel called for stronger collaboration among all stakeholders to prevent the South-West from becoming a sanctuary for criminality.
The Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, praised the Governor’s support, noting that logistical assistance had strengthened police operations. “Security challenges are often local and require local solutions,” he said, emphasizing the importance of targeted interventions.
Traditional rulers echoed the call for community engagement and technological support. Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, Alara of Ilara, urged joint task forces, expanded police recruitment, and tackling youth unemployment to curb restiveness.
Meanwhile, Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, reaffirmed the importance of state policing as a critical tool for national security, echoing calls for decentralization and local empowerment in tackling crime.
Civil society, women’s organizations, and youth groups also lent their voices, urging better welfare packages for security operatives to ensure professionalism and commitment. “The safety of our communities depends not just on numbers, but on motivation and morale,” one leader remarked.
The summit painted a vivid picture of a region at a crossroads. Villages and farmlands face increasing threats, highways are becoming more dangerous, and armed groups like Lakurawa are making inroads into Kwara and Kogi, signaling potential spillover into the South-West.
Stakeholders agreed that the solution lies in multi-pronged approaches combining technology, intelligence, community policing, and socio-economic interventions, particularly youth employment and education.
As the summit closed, a unified message emerged: the South-West must act decisively. Safety is no longer optional, and collaboration among government, security agencies, traditional institutions, and civil society is the only path to ensuring that peace and prosperity remain intertwined in the region.
