By Oluwaseun Sonde
The Southwest Governors' Forum have agreed to declare a 3-day mourning period in memory of the victims of 5th June, 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic, Owaluwa Street, Owo, Ondo State, starting from Monday, 13th June, to Wednesday, 15th, June, 2022 to symbolise collective loss across all South Western States in Nigeria.
This was agreed after a virtual meeting held on the June 10, 2022 to review the state of insecurity in the South West, Nigeria, while the Governors condemned in strong terms, the horrendous crime perpetrated by Terrorist against the people and residents of Ondo State, and, by extension, the peace-loving people of the South West.
Southwest Governors sympathised with the victims of the mindless attack and agreed that all the Governors should direct the flying of Flags at Half Mast in all public buildings, facilitates and official residences across all the States in the South West in honour of the attack victims.
Governors of the Southwest, who virtually deliberated extensively on the rising wave of insecurity in the country, especially the South West and decided on some measures, deemed immediate in stemming the tide of banditry, kidnapping and terror attacks in the region.
They noted, with great discomfiture, the increasing agitations about spaces taken over by unidentified and unknown migrants in all South West States, as the meeting, therefore, recommended an increase in the scope of surveillance of the activities of these undocumented settlers by relevant security agencies in the States.
The Governors, as Chief Security Officers, resolved to continue to assist the security agencies in the areas of crisis management and intelligence gathering at ALL times, reviewed reports from various States on the factors militating against peace and security in the region.
They expressed grave concern on the influx of Okada riders into all parts of the South West, especially the State capitals, while the meeting further resolved that efforts be geared toward identity management of Okada riders and stringent regulation put in place for their operation.
Consequently, the Forum decided it was time to reconvene the South West Security Committee to look critically into this creeping menace before it blossoms into another intractable social problem.
The Committee will be expected to submit its findings on the desirability of Okada operations in the region, and also expected to submit a multi-level template to combat the threat of insurgency and terrorism in the region, as the Forum agreed to convene forthwith a physical meeting of the South West Governors to deliberate on the security challenges confronting the region.
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