Southwest Security Stakeholders Group (SSSG) said it is resolved to partner with the South-West governors in tackling the security scourge across the region, vowing to resist any attempt to threaten the peace and security of the South West region.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, during the 2025 annual interfaith service which took place in Ibadan, had raised the alarm that insurgents and terrorists fleeing from military bombardment in the North were relocating to the state and other states in the South-West and building camps in the forests.
SSSG gave the vow at the end of the quarterly strategic meeting held on Wednesday at the palace of the Aareona kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, saying that its resolve was a strategic response to the reported influx of bandits and fighters from the Islamic States of West Africa Province into some of the South-West forests.
The group said this in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Adewole Ireti, noting sadly that the influx of ISWAP and bandits in the region was a major threat that deserved drastic and urgent approach.
SSSG, however, disclosed that it had concluded plans and strategies to combat the spate of insecurity in Yorubaland and beyond, saying that it had contacted all the security structures across the region in ensuring that Southwest was secured.
The security group, while insisting on its expressing its readiness to keep ISWAP elements and bandits at bay and not fold its arms to allow evil men to overrun the region, implored the six South-West governors to look into its “request to partner with them in securing the forests.”
“The report that ISWAP and bandits are in our forests in South-West is disturbing, especially for a region that has all that is required to stamp out insecurity in the region.
“We have concluded our plans and strategies to combat the spate of insecurity in Yorubaland and beyond.
“Our strategic meeting today is tosecure the South-West region from ISWAP elements and bandits that are ravaging the South-West.
“We implore the governors to look into our request to partner with them in securing the forests.
“It is about using the best approach to keep all the stakeholders on their toes. We are ready to keep ISWAP elements and bandits at bay and we will not fold our arms to allow evil men to overrun our region,” the group stated.
SSSG, however, urged residents across Yoruba land not to panic, assuring that efforts were ongoing in addressing the security deficit in the region.
Leaders of the 15 groups present at the meeting include the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Agbekoya Society, Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Professional Hunters, Vigilante Jahun, Agbekoya Peace Movement, Agbekoya Solidarity Movement, COMSAIC, Isokan Ile Oodua, Egbe Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, Omo Oduduwa United, among others.
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