The Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF) has called on the governors of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta states to urgently revive and adequately fund the BRACED Commission as part of a coordinated regional strategy to tackle the growing wave of insecurity across the country.
The forum said recent developments indicate that kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes are no longer restricted to their traditional hotspots, warning that the South-South region must not wait until criminal elements become deeply entrenched before taking proactive measures.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Mr. Tare Magbei, the IPF noted that recent reports have shown a disturbing spread of kidnapping-for-ransom activities to the southern parts of the country, including incidents involving school abductions in Oyo State, while ongoing efforts by the National Assembly to advance state police reforms underscore the severity of the nation’s worsening security challenges.
According to the forum, the South-South governors must regard these developments as a clear warning signal, stressing that no responsible leadership should fold its arms while bandits, kidnappers, terrorists and criminal syndicates gain footholds across the region.
The group expressed concern that Delta State and other parts of the South-South are already experiencing security pressures from neighbouring states, even as the Niger Delta continues to grapple with kidnapping, cult-related violence, oil theft and other forms of organised crime.
IPF warned that criminal networks do not recognise state boundaries, noting that a threat that emerges in Edo State today could easily spread to Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa or Cross River states in the absence of a robust regional security framework anchored on intelligence sharing, maritime surveillance and joint emergency response mechanisms.
The forum lamented that the BRACED Commission, established to promote regional integration, security collaboration and socio-economic development among the South-South states, has remained largely dormant at a time when the region requires a unified approach to confront emerging threats.
It therefore urged the governors to immediately convene a South-South Security and Development Summit aimed at revitalising the BRACED Commission, establishing a regional security coordination centre, strengthening intelligence gathering and fostering a collective response to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, sea piracy and economic sabotage.
“The South-South remains the economic backbone of Nigeria. Its waterways, roads, schools, markets, oil installations and communities must not be left vulnerable because of political indifference or delayed action,” the statement said.
The forum further cautioned that the time for action is now, warning that any delay could have grave consequences.
“Delay will be dangerous. Silence will be costly. History will not be kind to any leadership that ignored the warning signs and failed to act,” the statement added.
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