Governors of the South-East have called for stronger collaboration among state governments, security agencies, traditional institutions, communities and the private sector to tackle the region’s security challenges.
The governors said lasting peace could only be achieved through coordinated action, intelligence sharing and active community participation.
They made the call on Thursday at the maiden South-East Regional Security Summit in Umuahia, Abia State. The summit, themed “Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability,” was organised by the Federal Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-East).
Welcoming participants, Abia State Governor Alex Otti stressed the need for closer cooperation among South-East states and security agencies to consolidate recent gains against insecurity.
Otti described security as the bedrock of development, noting that meaningful progress could not thrive where citizens lived in fear.
He said leaders across the region had a collective responsibility to ensure criminals no longer found safe havens in any South-East state.
According to him, the summit reflects the commitment of governments in the region to protecting lives and property while sustaining peace.
The governor attributed many security challenges to economic factors and called for greater investment in security and economic opportunities to make crime less attractive.
He said the region had continued to reclaim communities, highways, forests, markets and farmlands from criminal elements without profiling any ethnic or religious group.
Otti added that the summit was aimed at developing practical strategies to keep security agencies ahead of criminal networks rather than celebrating previous achievements.
He urged participants to recommend measures that would strengthen regional security, dismantle criminal supply chains and target illegal arms dealers, drug traffickers and those who harbour criminals.
The governor also said Abia had maintained close collaboration with neighbouring states and security agencies to restore peace in troubled communities.
Describing the summit as timely ahead of the election season, Otti urged stakeholders to work together to prevent political violence and safeguard the region.
Representing Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Deputy Governor Onyeka Ibezim commended President Bola Tinubu for efforts to improve national security.
He said while the country had recorded progress, stronger collaboration among South-East states remained necessary to sustain the gains.
Ibezim expressed optimism that the summit would produce practical solutions capable of transforming the region into a peaceful and investment-friendly destination.
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru, represented by Speaker of the State House of Assembly Moses Odunwa, said the summit demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to building a peaceful and united Nigeria.
He noted that security threats required cooperation, intelligence sharing, mutual trust and community participation.
According to him, insecurity discourages investment, disrupts farming activities and weakens socio-economic development.
Nwifuru urged South-East states to deepen intelligence sharing, conduct joint security operations, integrate technology into security management and continually exchange operational best practices.
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, represented by Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai, described the summit as timely, saying the region must adopt practical measures to combat terrorism, kidnapping and organised crime.
He warned that the growing misuse of digital technology had compounded security challenges and called for stronger intelligence gathering and policing.
Mbah also advocated increased investment in the Nigeria Police Force through improved training, technology and welfare.
He further called for greater collaboration among neighbouring states, including joint investment in surveillance drones, digitalisation of vehicle documentation to reduce corruption at security checkpoints, and proper street naming and house numbering to improve emergency response and crime tracking.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, represented by Deputy Governor Chinyere Ekomaru, described security as the foundation of economic growth, social stability and sustainable development.
Uzodimma commended President Tinubu’s efforts to combat banditry and other security threats nationwide.
He emphasised that kidnapping, armed robbery and violent extremism transcend state boundaries and therefore require coordinated intelligence sharing, joint operations and stronger collaboration between security agencies and local communities.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with neighbouring states, the Federal Government and security agencies to strengthen regional peace and security across the South-East.
source: NAN
