The South West Governors’ Forum, comprising the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo states, has agreed to establish a joint security surveillance to tackle terrorists under the banner of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province.

This was revealed after a meeting of all the six governors in the region. namely, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), on Thursday, held at the Governor’s Office, Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.

The move comes amid earlier reports of infiltration of the terrorists into some forests in the South West region.

Makinde had warned in January that bandits fleeing military operations in the North-West were seeking refuge in the Oyo.

At a 2025 annual inter-faith service for workers held at the Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Makinde said, “During a security briefing this morning, I learnt that some bad elements from the North-West are relocating here due to military heat in their zones. But we will find and deal with them.”

The Department of State Services had also recently arrested 10 suspected members of ISWAP in Ilesa, Osun State.

The arrest came to public knowledge when the DSS in January sought an order from a Federal High Court in Abuja to detain the suspects for 60 days, an order Justice Emeka Nwite granted.

After Thursday’s extensive deliberations, which began around 12pm and ended around 4pm, the Forum, in a communique read out to journalists by Governor Sanwo-Olu, said it acknowledged the threats of ISWAP activities in the region and condemned it in its totality.

The governors stated their resolve to combat the terrorists with technology including the use of aerial surveillance.


https://punchng.com/swest-govs-plan-joint-operation-against-iswap-terrorists/