The nightmares and anguish that are engendered by perennial insecurity that pervades the South-West region, which is home to the Yoruba ethnic group, will, in the coming months, be a thing of the past as the Governors from the region conclude plans to float a regional security outfit.
According to The Nation, in order for their plan to materialize the states governors have obtained approval from the office of the national security adviser (NSA) to float the regional security outfit.
The approval will create a joint task force christened Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) to tackle insecurity in the region.
There has been a vociferous call for state police following the spate of killings in the region and other parts of the country.
Among the high cases of insecurity in the region this year are the murder of Funke Olakurin, daughter of Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere leader, in Ondo; abduction of Yinka Adegbehingbe, a professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in Osun and kidnap of five ministers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
The six governors met twice in June at Ibadan, Oyo state capital, and July at Akure, Ondo state capital, under the coordination of the Development Agenda of Western Nigeria (DAWN), to deliberate and come with tactics to tackle the rising insecurity.
Rotimi Akeredolu, chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, had told journalists after the meeting in Ibadan that the security architecture of the region would new look from August.
In preparation for the inauguration of the security outfit by October, the governors have reportedly purchased patrol vans to be used by each state.
The security outfit, which is reported to comprise local hunters and members of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC), has a team that will coordinate intelligence gathering.
The operatives are to monitor neighborhood activities and also patrol forests in the region.
Members of the team are also expected to work with traditional rulers and other security outfits in order to ensure they work within the confines of the law for seamless and efficient operations.
Speaking earlier in the month, Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun state, had said the joint security team would patrol major roads and provide adequate security for residents of the region.
The governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari in June after a presidential panel on human rights abuses by special anti-robbery squad (SARS) recommended the establishment of state and local government police, but the governors did not reach an agreement on the matter.
Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Lagos are the states in the south-west region.