Members of the Nigerian Senate have begun pushing for the adoption of local solutions and modern technology to curb the growing insecurity in the Southwest region of Nigeria.
The lawmakers during the Senate Zonal Security Summit in Lagos on Friday said there is a need for the Nigerian government to focus on indigenous security solutions, advanced technology, and state policing as part of efforts to address the escalating security challenges across the country.
Speaking at the summit, Mukhail Abiru, the lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, charged citizens to collectively join hands to combat insecurity ravaging the region and the nation at large.
Kabiru, who serves as the Chairman of the South-West geopolitical zone interactive hearings of the 10th Senate’s ad-hoc committee on the National Security Summit, also called on stakeholders from the region to ensure they work in partnership with security agencies and their operatives to tackle insecurity.
He said, “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.
“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,” Abiru noted.
He also warned that the Southwest region cannot be allowed to serve as a refuge for criminality or a habitat for individuals who seek to destabilise Nigeria.
He said that the region must use every resource within its purview to defend communities across the Southwest.
“No effort is too small in the quest to secure the South West Zone and our nation. Security is a collective responsibility. We must build trust, stay vigilant, and report suspicious activities promptly to our community leaders and security agencies,” Abiru added.
He further urged the media to join hands in the fight against insecurity as a national duty by promoting narratives that strengthen unity, inspire confidence, and avoid framing national challenges along ethnic or religious lines.
In his address, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State governor said his administration is committed to strengthening the state’s security architecture with the purpose of protecting the lives and property of all residents.
Represented by the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Ayodele Ogunsan, the governor called for a regional security framework that could champion peace and economic stability within the region.
“As governors of this region, we must reaffirm our commitment to a regional security framework, which includes transforming Amotekun into a more unified, well-equipped, technology-driven command that can facilitate cross-state intelligence sharing and joint operations.
Our traditional institutions – our Obas and community leaders – must remain central to this framework, as no one knows the heartbeat of local communities better than they do,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Also speaking, Ibrahim Jimoh, the senator representing Ondo South and sponsor of the bill establishing the National Security Summit, noted that terrorism and insurgency require non-conventional strategies which involve both military and civilian efforts.
For Gbenga Daniel, who represents Ogun East, collaborative efforts by all stakeholders to address insecurity in Nigeria are key.
During his presentation, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, emphasised the need to sustain the current moment, noting that security challenges are often local and require local solutions.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, the Alara of Ilara in Epe, Lagos, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, advocated community policing, the use of modern technology, a joint task force comprising all security agencies, expanded police recruitment, increased funding, better equipment and more employment opportunities to limit youth restiveness and associated threats.
He said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had intensified collaboration with international partners but noted that weak structures at the grassroots continued to derail progress.
On his part, the Aare Onakankanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, maintained that state policing remains a key solution to tackling insecurity nationwide.