The South-West Governors’ Forum has called on the Federal Government to urgently begin a surveillance of forests across the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone with a view to securing the vast forest belts in the zone, which are fast becoming hideouts for criminals.

This was as the governors called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deploy Forest Guards across the South-West states, while each state government will be responsible for providing the required personnel.

The governors equally reiterated their position on the need for the immediate establishment of state police to beef up security, not just in the region but in the whole nation.

The governors stated these on Monday, in a communiqué issued after a meeting hosted by the Oyo State Governor, 'Seyi Makinde, held at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

At the meeting, which was attended by the Governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo states as well as the Osun State Deputy Governor who represented the governor, the forum commended President Tinubu on the various economic reforms and developmental agenda ongoing in the country and his fight against insecurity.

The forum equally expressed solidarity with the Federal Government on the spate of insecurity in the country, lauding the swift response of the government, which led to the rescue of people abducted in Kwara and Niger states.

Following the Forum’s review of the worrisome trend of insecurity in the country, the governors declared the setting up of a South-West Security Trust Fund, which will be under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and be administered by Special Advisers on Security to all the six governors.

The communiqué read by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide SanwoOlu indicated that the Forum also set up a joint security intelligence sharing and communication platform, with a live digital intelligence sharing platform amongst all the South-West states.

The communiqué reads in part: "Southwest Governors' Forum comprising the Governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states, held its meeting on Monday, 24th November, 2025 at the Governor's Office, Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State.

"After extensive deliberations on various issues including agriculture, economic and regional development, security challenges that are also affecting the South-West region, the Forum resolved as follows:

"The Forum commends Mr. President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the very valuable effort and fight against insecurity and various economic reforms on all his developmental agenda. The forum appreciates Mr. President.

"The Forum further expresses solidarity with the Federal Government in its efforts and the issues that have happened in Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states after the very recent stretch of kidnapping at the Government's Girls Comprehensive School in Mada town, the Catholic Institution of St. Mary's in Papiri, Agwara Local Government, Niger State and also at the CAC Church at Eruku, Kwara states.

"The Forum applauds the swift response of the Federal Government towards the rescue of the Kwara abductees and more than 51 students of the Catholic School in Niger State.

"The Forum, thereafter, reviewed the current state of security within our region and took some decisions to ensure the security of life and property of our people.

"One, the Forum agreed to set up a South-West Security Fund, which will be set up under the DAWN commission and this fund will be administered by a Forum of Special Advisers on security of all the South-West states and they have been mandated to ensure that they keep on a monthly meeting amongst the six special advisors.

"Two, the Forum also set up a joint security intelligence sharing and communication platform. The forum resolved to establish a live digital intelligence sharing platform amongst all the southwest states. This platform will exchange threat notifications, will ensure incidents are logged, traveler and cargo alerts and coordinate state-to-state response among others.

"The Forum commends the effort of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps. The Forum commends the effort of our hunters, Amotekun members and all other security agencies.

"Thereafter, the forum calls on the Federal Government to note the urgent need for enhanced forest surveillance across the South-West states and, in general, call on the government to secure the vast forest belt that have become hideouts for all sorts of criminal elements. To this end, the forum agrees that the Federal Government should help deploy the forest guards across the South-West states with each state government responsible for providing the required personnel.

"The Forum reaffirms their collective commitments to reclaiming the forest and ensuring that these spaces no longer serve as safe corridors for banditry, for kidnapping or any form of criminality at all.

"On interstate migration, the Forum expresses deep concern on the unregulated interstate migration that continues to pose significant challenges across the southwest. The Forum calls for stricter border monitoring, calls for data collection and self-identification of each South-West state and the Forum wants to work with the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, for proper identification.

"The Forum agrees to intensify security collaboration to ensure that the interstate migration does not become a conduit for insecurity.

"The forum expresses deep concern over the escalating illegal mining activities across the South-West states. We see that it threatens environmental safety, it continues to create public health issues and of course our regional security.

"The Forum, therefore, calls for a comprehensive and enforceable licensing framework, which will be able to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and create a stricter enforcement action against violators who may perpetrate violent crimes under the guise of mining.

"On state police, the Forum reaffirms its support for the establishment of state police by emphasising that the time is now and we pray that it should not be delayed any longer.

"The Forum further looks at issues regarding agriculture, food security and climate resilience. The Forum wishes to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the Federal Government that provided food sufficiency.”

The governors also called on all South-West people to work towards engendering peace in the region.

• PHOTO, L-R: Governors Ademola Adeleke (Osun) represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi; Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), during the South-West Governors Forum meeting, at the Oyo State Governor's Office in Agodi, Ibadan, on Monday, November 24, 2025. Behind are the board and executives of O'dua Investment Company Limited and the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN Commission.