The Southern Governors’ Forum has praised President Bola Tinubu for his rapid and decisive response to recent security challenges in Nigeria, particularly the spate of school abductions affecting children across several states.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, chairman of the forum, made the remarks during the regional governors’ meeting in Iperu, Ogun State, on Wednesday.
He commended the president for personally coordinating rescue efforts, emphasising that this hands-on approach demonstrates an uncommon level of commitment to safeguarding Nigerian lives.
“The swift and effective response underscores a security strategy that is increasingly intelligence-driven and coordinated,” Abiodun stated.
He noted that the successful recovery of abducted students affirms the government’s prioritization of citizen safety and national stability.
Highlighting broader governance achievements, the governor referenced large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto–Badagry superhighway, which are expected to boost economic activity, enhance trade corridors, and foster national integration.
Abiodun stressed that the southern states’ unity extended beyond geography, rooted instead in shared goals, historical consciousness, and collective determination to tackle contemporary challenges.
“Southern Nigeria faces growing security threats, economic pressures, and the urgent need for coordinated leadership,” he said, stressing that mass abductions and violent crimes in schools, religious centres, and rural communities show no region is immune.
The forum advocated for the creation of state police as a core component of effective federalism and grassroots security.
Abiodun also outlined key state-level measures, including stricter registration of foreign nationals, dismantling unlawful settlements, regulation of scavenger activities, intensified forest patrols, and crackdown on illegal mining.
Community policing was highlighted as an essential pillar, allowing local communities, traditional authorities, and law enforcement to collaborate, gather intelligence, and respond swiftly to threats.
The governor stressed the importance of a Regional Rapid Response Fund to facilitate emergency deployments, rescue operations, forensic support, and inter-state training.
Abiodun concluded by expressing confidence that southern states, through strengthened joint task forces, seamless intelligence sharing, and regional strategies, can overcome security challenges and achieve sustainable peace and development.
The meeting saw attendance from governors of Ekiti, Enugu, Ondo, Rivers, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, Lagos, Bayelsa, and Imo, while Cross River, Edo, Oyo, and Osun states were represented by deputies.
