Southern Governors Sound Alarm on Mounting Security Dangers, Commend Tinubu’s Rapid Response

The Southern Governors’ Forum has commended President Bola Tinubu for his swift response to recent security threats in parts of Nigeria.

Ogun State Governor and Forum Chairman, Dapo Abiodun, made the remarks during the opening of a regional meeting of southern state governors in Iperu on Wednesday. He praised the president’s exceptional leadership in tackling the recent wave of schoolchild abductions, noting that Tinubu’s personal involvement in coordinating rescue efforts—rather than delegating the task—demonstrated a rare commitment to protecting every Nigerian life.

Governor Abiodun said the successful rescue of abducted students reflects a more coordinated, intelligence-driven, and responsive security strategy. “The president’s swift action reminds us that leadership is measured not only in policy decisions but also in empathy, urgency, and decisive intervention,” he said, emphasizing that citizens can be reassured that the safety of children is a top national priority.

He also highlighted the president’s ambitious infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto–Badagry superhighway, describing them as transformative investments that will boost trade, strengthen national integration, and reshape Nigeria’s economic landscape. “The president’s socio-economic reforms are already yielding visible dividends and reinforce the principle that a united Nigeria is the foundation of sustainable prosperity,” he added.

Abiodun explained that the southern governors’ meeting represents more than geographical proximity—it is a union built on shared aspirations, common challenges, and a collective determination to secure a stable and prosperous future. He noted that this spirit of unity echoes the cooperation of the old Southern Protectorate before Nigeria’s 1914 amalgamation.

The governor warned that southern Nigeria faces a critical moment amid rising security threats and economic pressures. He stressed that state police remain a non-negotiable element of true federalism and effective grassroots security. He also called for a Regional Rapid Response Fund to support emergency operations, rescue missions, forensic work, and inter-state training.

Community policing, he said, is a key pillar for early-warning detection, intelligence gathering, and building trust between citizens and law enforcement. By empowering local communities, traditional rulers, and neighborhood structures to work with security agencies, interventions can be more effective in protecting schools, farms, border towns, and key road corridors.

Abiodun urged southern states to strengthen joint security task forces, share intelligence seamlessly, and adopt regional strategies to confront threats. “I am confident we can chart a path of peace, prosperity, and sustainable development for the entire southern region,” he said.

At the time of the meeting, governors from Ekiti, Enugu, Ondo, Rivers, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, Lagos, Bayelsa, and Imo states were present, while Cross River, Edo, Oyo, and Osun states were represented.