Group seeks urgent action on insecurity in South West

The Southwest Youths Forum has voiced serious concern over escalating insecurity across Nigeria's Southwest, warning that the region's traditional stability is under threat.

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Banditry, kidnapping for ransom, farmer-herder clashes and the infiltration of criminal elements from other regions are no longer distant threats. They have crept into our forests, highways, farmlands, and communities across Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and even Lagos.

The forum highlighted a disturbing increase in banditry, kidnapping for ransom, farmer-herder conflicts, and the infiltration of criminal elements. These issues are now directly affecting communities in Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos states, moving beyond distant threats to impact daily life, education, and public safety.

"Banditry, kidnapping for ransom, farmer-herder clashes and the infiltration of criminal elements from other regions are no longer distant threats. They have crept into our forests, highways, farmlands, and communities across Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and even Lagos," said Olumide Fasubaa, the group's team lead. He cautioned that the region, once known for economic vitality, risks broader destabilization without urgent, coordinated action from authorities.

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The persistence and escalation of these attacks demand far more aggressive implementation and visible results on the ground. Words and frameworks must now translate into tangible security improvements that citizens can feel.

While acknowledging past initiatives by the Southwest Governors' Forum, such as proposals for a Regional Security Trust Fund, Fasubaa stressed that implementation must now yield visible results. The forum urged governors to activate and adequately fund the proposed regional security architecture, strengthen state-backed security outfits like vigilantes and community policing, and improve inter-state collaboration on intelligence sharing and border security. They also called for greater community involvement and renewed advocacy for state policing.

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We deserve a secure environment to thrive, educate our children, and contribute to national development. Insecurity is a failure of proactive governance.