GOVERNOR Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has said governors across the South-West geopolitical zone are intensifying collaboration to strengthen security and protect lives and property amid the growing wave of crime and insecurity in parts of the country.
News Point Nigeria reports that the governor made the disclosure while reacting to recent security challenges in the region and the conviction of four persons over the 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Speaking on Tuesday during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, Aiyedatiwa said South-West governors have continued to engage one another and work collectively on measures aimed at securing the region.
“What I am saying in essence is that we are talking to ourselves; we are working,” the governor said when asked about the preparedness of South-West governors to confront insecurity.
According to him, one of the recent steps taken by leaders in the region was a security meeting held in Ibadan, Oyo State, where governors discussed strategies for enhancing regional security cooperation.
“The other day we had a meeting in Oyo State, in Ibadan, where we tried to map out what we need to do together to secure the South-West geopolitical zone, especially with our security network, Amotekun,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa noted that the regional security outfit, Amotekun Corps, remains a key component of the security architecture in several South-West states.
“Don’t forget we have it in Ondo State, Oyo State, Ekiti State, and Ogun State. It is only in Lagos State that they don’t have it, but they have their own security,” he added.
The governor’s comments come amid renewed concerns over insecurity in parts of the South-West, including the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State as well as kidnapping incidents reported in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
The incidents have heightened fears among residents and raised fresh questions about the safety of communities and critical infrastructure across the region.
Despite the concerns, Aiyedatiwa maintained that Ondo and other South-West states are taking proactive steps to confront emerging threats.
He explained that Ondo occupies a strategic position as a gateway to the South-West and shares boundaries with states from other geopolitical zones, making security coordination even more critical.
“Now, for us in Ondo State and other South-West states, we stand as a gateway to the South-West because we border a lot of other states from other parts of the country—Kogi, North Central, Kwara (we are not bordered by Kwara directly, but Ekiti is close to us), and then Osun, Ogun and so on,” he said.
The governor disclosed that significant security operations were ongoing across the state’s forest reserves, although many of such efforts do not receive public attention.
“A lot of engagements are going on in our forest reserves that do not come to the public in the news,” he stated.
“So much work is being done. Security is one responsibility that leaders carry that is not so visible to everybody. It is only when there is a lapse that it will look as if the government has not been doing enough. We have been doing so much.”
Aiyedatiwa also reacted to the recent judgment delivered in connection with the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.
The June 2022 attack shocked the nation after gunmen opened fire on worshippers during a church service, killing more than 40 people and leaving many others injured.
Four years after the incident, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sentenced four suspects to death by hanging over their involvement in the attack.
The convicted individuals were among five defendants standing trial on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services in connection with the massacre.
Reacting to the judgment, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the people of Owo and Ondo State welcomed the verdict, describing it as a triumph for justice and the rule of law.
“For us in Ondo State, we are happy that this judgment is a victory for the rule of law and for all the victims attacked, not just in Owo, Ondo State, but all who have been attacked at one time or the other by these terrorists,” the former deputy governor said.
He added that the judgment would provide some measure of comfort to victims’ families and reinforce confidence in the country’s justice system as efforts continue to combat terrorism and violent crimes across Nigeria.