Governors from Nigeria’s South-West region have announced plans to strengthen security by launching a joint surveillance initiative aimed at countering threats posed by the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The decision followed a high-level meeting held in Lagos, attended by Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).
The move comes amid concerns over reports of ISWAP infiltrating forests in the region. Earlier in January, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde warned that armed groups displaced by military operations in the North-West were seeking refuge in his state.
During an interfaith service in Ibadan, Makinde stated, “During a security briefing this morning, I learnt that some bad elements from the North-West are relocating here due to military heat in their zones. But we will find and deal with them.”
Authorities have taken action in response to these threats. In January, the Department of State Services (DSS) apprehended 10 suspected ISWAP members in Ilesa, Osun State, and secured a court order to detain them for 60 days.
Following extensive deliberations, which lasted from noon until 4 p.m. on Thursday, the South-West Governors’ Forum issued a communiqué read by Sanwo-Olu. The governors unanimously condemned ISWAP’s activities and outlined measures to enhance security across the region.
Sanwo-Olu, who chairs the Forum, stated, “Acknowledging the threat posed by ISWAP activities in parts of the South West, the Forum strongly condemns any threat to the region’s security. It encourages enhanced collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and local security outfits, urging them to remain vigilant.”
To combat security challenges, the Forum resolved to deploy advanced surveillance technology, including aerial monitoring, and to form a Joint Surveillance Monitoring Team to coordinate security efforts across the region. Special Advisers on Security from the six states will also collaborate on intelligence gathering and information sharing.
Meanwhile, the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has urged South-West governors to take immediate action against terrorist groups reportedly setting up camps in forests across the region.
Wasiu Afolabi, the OPC’s president, emphasized the urgency, stating, “These foreign Fulani terrorists have always said that after conquering the North, the South will be next. Now it is happening. But the OPC is ready to let these evil dreamers know that Yorubaland can never be conquered or occupied by foreign invaders”.
