For the South-West, the long-feared spillover of Nigeria’s school-abduction crisis has now become a grim reality. On Friday, armed men who have terrorised other parts of the country struck brazenly in Oyo State, attacking three schools in Yawota and Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area. The assault left two people dead and saw pupils and teachers abducted.
This is no longer just about Oyo State. It is about a region that is fast becoming exposed, as the six South-West governors continue to fall short of building a coordinated and decisive security shield over their domain.
In the immediate term, Governors Abiodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) must urgently move beyond rhetoric and assemble clear, time-bound operational strategies to confront groups suspected to include Islamist elements operating within and around the region.
Therefore, the incident is a clarion call on South-West governors to convene an urgent regional security meeting to discuss immediate, short-term measures, particularly the possibility of setting up a regional security office.
They should appoint a regional security coordinator in consultation with the Federal Government, while also engaging security agencies and the O’odua Peoples’ Congress where necessary.
