Southwest governors read riot act to criminals, set to implement plans to tackle security challenges in the region

The governors of the six South-west states have vowed to deal ruthlessly with anybody found within the region perpetrating any criminal act from now on.

This was their resolve at a meeting held on Monday at Akure, the Capital of Ondo state after their deliberations on the report received from a technical committee  set up on the security challenges confronting the region.

The committee was set up after a security summit  held earlier on  in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.

The meeting which was held behind closed doors at the Ondo State Governor's office Alagbaka Akure lasted for several hours.

 Present at the meeting were all the  Governors from all the six Southwest states  include Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun who was represented by his Deputy Mr Gboyega Alabi.

The meeting was organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, which is an organ of the six states established to pursue their aspiration of socio-economic integration.

The host Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu , who is the Chairman of the Western Nigeria Governors Forum, who spoke on behalf of his brother Governors after the meeting  said that no sacrifice is too much for the governors to make to protect their people.


He said they are now set to implement the recommendations in the report summited to them by the technical committee by taking immediate actions on very key areas recommended to tackle the security challenges in the region.

He assured the people of the Western region that with the meeting  held, the security architecture in the region would change totally from  next month and the needful would be done by all the Governors in the region to further secure the lives and properties of their people in various states.

In his words"we all the brother Governors just met on the issue of insecurity in our region, that is Western Nigeria

"You all aware that we held a security summit recently in Ibadan. You probably in the know of the first day of security summit and subsequently as you all aware that we set up a technical committee on the issue of insecurity.

" We have received the report of the technical committee and we all the Governors of all the states in Western Nigeria, we have now discussed on the report and we are set to take immediate action on very key areas recommended to us.

" That is why we held Meeting today and we can assure you that from next month, you we see that our security architecture would have changed from what we have now.

" DAWN commission is going back to do some work for us and thereafter, we will all implement it and ensure that there is security for lives and properties in Western Nigeria", Governor Akeredolu stated.

When asked if he could give details of the recommendations in the report of the committee and their stand on how to curtail the excesses of the heldsmen in the region.

The Chairman, Southwest Governors forum disclosed that for security reasons, the details of the recommendations will not be made to the public for now but assured that the people would begin to see actions from them any moment from now.

He stated further "there is no way we can be here to discuss the steps we intend to take for security reasons.

" And we are assuring our people that we are well prepared and we would deal ruthlessly with anybody who is here within our space to commit any criminals act", Governor Akeredolu concluded.