South-West under siege: Time for governors to find Akeredolu’s courage

The deteriorating security situation in Nigeria's South-West, particularly in Oyo State, demands urgent attention from regional governors, according to Oluwole Ojewale.

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Criminality should never be reduced to partisan talking points.

Ojewale, a scholar of African security, warns that what was once a distant threat confined to northern regions has now become a growing reality in the South-West. He notes the increasing vulnerability along Nigeria's southwestern flank, especially the Oke Ogun axis of Oyo State and adjoining border regions, due to the expansion of extremist groups from the Central Sahel.

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The state has a responsibility to confront all forms of criminality without resorting to ethnic colouration or collective labelling.

The scholar highlights that the signs of escalating insecurity are unmistakable, evolving from isolated incidents to a discernible pattern. He criticizes the tendency to reduce criminality to partisan talking points and to ethnicize insecurity, which he argues obscures the real problem, weakens public trust, and distracts from the essential task of protecting citizens.

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The primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property. Everything else is secondary.

Recalling the leadership of the late Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Ojewale urges current governors to find his courage in confronting all forms of criminality without resorting to ethnic coloration. He emphasizes that the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property, as all other aspects of governance rest on this foundation.

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Once that foundation begins to crack, the consequences spread rapidly across society.