Amid renewed nationwide concerns over worsening insecurity, lawmakers and critical stakeholders in the South-West geo-political zone have again called for the creation of state police and the adoption of community-driven security systems to curb Nigeria’s escalating violence.
At the South-West Zonal Security Summit convened by the Nigerian Senate in Lagos on Friday, senators, governors, security chiefs, traditional rulers, and civil society actors pressed for urgent reforms, warning that the region must not wait until its security situation deteriorates further before acting decisively.
The summit is part of the 10th Senate’s ongoing nationwide engagement on national security following a string of deadly terror attacks, including Monday’s abduction of 25 girls in Kebbi State and the reported kidnapping of over 300 pupils in Niger State on Thursday; incidents that have heightened anxiety about the country’s direction and exposed the limits of current security structures.
Representing Lagos-East and chairman of the South-West geopolitical zone interactive hearings, Tokunbo Abiru, urged Nigerians to unite in confronting what he described as an increasingly complex threat environment.
“While the South-West has not experienced the full brunt of terrorism as in some other regions, the rise in banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes across our states is deeply troubling”, he stated.
“Our villages and farmlands have come under increasing threat; farmer-herder clashes have been on the increase, our highways have seen more daring incidents, and the disturbing spread of armed groups such as the reported Lakurawa incursion into parts of Kwara and Kogi underscores the urgent need for proactive measures.
‘If decisive action is not taken, the danger could spill fully into the South-West geo-political zone”, he warned.
Abiru emphasised that security must be seen as a collective responsibility and urged the media to adopt a nation-building approach in its reportage.
“We must promote narratives that strengthen unity, inspire confidence, and avoid framing our national challenges along ethnic or religious lines. Let us strive to paint a positive and reassuring picture of our country”, he stressed.
Representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of lagos State, the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Ayodele Ogunsan, said Lagos was committed to strengthening its security architecture but stressed that the region as a whole must adopt coordinated strategies.
Traditional rulers at the summit reiterated their long-standing call for community-centric security models.
Civil society groups, women’s organisations, youth representatives, and Christian and Islamic leaders all called for improved welfare for security operatives, arguing that no security reform would succeed if personnel remained poorly motivated.
