Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has said governors across the South-West are strengthening collaboration to improve security in the region amid growing concerns over crime and kidnappings in parts of the country.
The governor made the remarks on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following the conviction of four individuals involved in the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Speaking on efforts to address insecurity, Aiyedatiwa stressed that South-West governors are actively working together through coordinated security strategies and regional partnerships.
“What I am saying in essence is that we are talking to ourselves; we are working,” Aiyedatiwa said when asked about the preparedness of governors in the region to tackle insecurity.
“The other day we had a meeting in Oyo State, in Ibadan, where we tried to map out what we need to do together to secure the South-West geopolitical zone, especially with our security network, Amotekun. Don’t forget we have it in Ondo State, Oyo State, Ekiti State, and Ogun State. It is only in Lagos State that they don’t have it, but they have their own security.”
His comments come amid rising concerns over insecurity in parts of the South-West, particularly following the abduction of teachers and students in Oyo State and a recent kidnapping incident in Ekiti State’s Ilejemeje Local Government Area.
The incidents have heightened fears about the safety of residents and communities across the region.
However, Aiyedatiwa maintained that states in the South-West are taking proactive measures to strengthen security and protect residents.
“Now, for us in Ondo State and other South-West states, we stand as a gateway to the South-West because we border a lot of other states from other parts of the country—Kogi, North Central, Kwara (we are not bordered by Kwara directly, but Ekiti is close to us), and then Osun, Ogun and so on,” he said.
“A lot of engagements are going on in our forest reserves that do not come to the public in the news.
“So much work is being done. Security is one responsibility that leaders carry that is not so visible to everybody. It is only when there is a lapse that it will look as if the government has not been doing enough. We have been doing so much.”
Reacting to Wednesday’s court judgment over the Owo church attack, the governor described the verdict as a significant victory for justice and the rule of law.
More than 40 worshippers were killed and several others injured when gunmen attacked St. Francis Catholic Church during a service in Owo in 2022.
Four years later, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four convicted suspects to death by hanging for their roles in the attack.
The convicted men were among five defendants facing terrorism charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the incident.
Responding to the judgment, Aiyedatiwa said residents of Owo and Ondo State welcomed the decision.
“For us in Ondo State, we are happy that this judgment is a victory for the rule of law and for all the victims attacked, not just in Owo, Ondo State, but all who have been attacked at one time or the other by these terrorists,” the former deputy governor said.
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