South-East governors have called for stronger collaboration among state governments, security agencies, traditional institutions, communities and the private sector to address security challenges facing the region. They said that insecurity could only be effectively addressed through coordinated action, intelligence sharing and community participation.

The governors made the call on Thursday at the maiden South-East Regional Security Summit, ‘Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability’, in Umuahia, Abia. The summit 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.

In his address of welcome, Governor Alex Otti of Abia called for deeper collaboration among South-East states and security agencies to consolidate recent gains against insecurity and guarantee lasting peace and regional stability. Mr Otti described security as the foundation of development, saying no meaningful progress could be achieved where citizens lived under fear of criminals.

The governor said that leaders in the region had a collective responsibility to ensure that criminals no longer found haven in any South-East state. According to him, the summit demonstrates the commitment of governments in the region to sustaining peace and protecting lives and property.

Mr Otti said that crime was often driven by economic factors, emphasising the need to make criminal activities unattractive through improved security investments and economic opportunities. The governor said the region had continued to reclaim communities, highways, markets, forests, farmlands and other public spaces from criminal elements without profiling any ethnic or religious group.

Mr Otti said that the summit was not intended to celebrate past achievements but to develop practical strategies that would keep security agencies ahead of criminal networks. He urged participants to produce recommendations that would strengthen regional security and promote long-term social stability.

The governor also called for greater efforts to dismantle criminal supply chains by targeting illicit drug trafficking, illegal arms suppliers and those who harbour criminals. He added that Abia had continued to work closely with neighbouring states and security agencies to restore peace in communities previously occupied by criminal elements.

He described the summit as timely, coming ahead of the electioneering season, and urged stakeholders to work towards preventing political violence. Mr Otti expressed confidence that implementing recommendations arising from the summit would further strengthen security architecture across the South-East and safeguard the region against crime.

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra commended President Bola Tinubu for his sustained improvements in national security. Mr Soludo, who his deputy, Onyeka Ibezim, represented, described the summit as timely, particularly as the country prepares for future elections. According to him, while progress has been made at the national level, greater collaboration among states in the region was necessary to consolidate the gains.

Mr Soludo expressed hope that the summit would produce practical solutions rather than end as another talk shop. He said that the South-East region should remain committed to its vision of becoming an integrated and peaceful region capable of attracting investment and development.

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi said that the summit reflected the federal government’s commitment to building a peaceful, secure and united Nigeria. Mr Nwifuru, who was represented by the Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly, Moses Odunwa, noted that security threats required cooperation, intelligence sharing, community participation and mutual trust.

The governor said that security remained the foundation for economic growth, infrastructure development, quality education, healthcare delivery and social harmony. He warned that insecurity discouraged investment, disrupted farming and undermined public confidence and general socioeconomic development. According to him, criminal elements operate across state boundaries, making deeper collaboration among South-East states, federal security agencies, local authorities and host communities imperative.

Mr Nwifuru urged greater intelligence sharing, joint security operations, technological integration and continuous exchange of operational best practices, urging citizens to regard security as a collective responsibility.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State described the summit as timely, saying the region must adopt practical measures to confront terrorism, kidnapping and other criminal activities.

Mr Mbah, represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, said that the growing threats posed by terrorism, organised crime and the misuse of digital technology had compounded security challenges in the country. He stressed that while state governments continued to support security agencies with logistics and investments, there was an urgent need to strengthen policing and intelligence gathering.

According to him, the increasing deployment of the military for internal security duties raises concerns about the capacity of conventional policing institutions.

Mr Soludo called for increased investment in the Nigeria Police Force through improved training, technology and better welfare. He also advocated greater intelligence sharing among neighbouring states and joint investment in security assets such as surveillance drones.

Mr Soludo further called for the digitalisation of vehicle documentation to reduce corruption at security checkpoints and improve operational efficiency. He also advocated proper street naming and house numbering across communities to assist security agencies in tracking suspects and responding swiftly to emergencies.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo described security as the foundation of economic growth, social stability and sustainable development. Mr Uzodinma, represented by his deputy, Chinyere Ekomaru, commended the president for his administration’s efforts to combat banditry and other security threats across the country. He stressed the importance of collaboration between security agencies and local communities, saying credible local intelligence remained critical to effective policing.

Mr Uzodimma said that security challenges such as kidnapping, armed robbery and violent extremism transcended state boundaries and therefore required coordinated intelligence sharing, joint operations and community participation. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with neighbouring states, the federal government and security agencies to strengthen regional peace and security.

(NAN)