DOPF Urges Southern Governors To Tackle Worsening Insecurity
As insecurity escalates across the southern states of the country, the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) has called on Southern governors to act decisively to curb the growing wave of criminality threatening the safety and livelihoods of citizens.
In a press release signed by DOPF Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Enebeli and Secretary-General Mr. Shedrack Onitsha, the forum expressed deep concern over increasing cases of kidnappings, killings, rapes, and other violent crimes allegedly perpetrated by criminal elements posing as herdsmen or hunters.
“The situation has reached a breaking point,” the statement read, “and the continued silence or passive responses from our state governors is no longer acceptable.”
The forum reminded governors of their constitutional role as Chief Security Officers of their respective states, emphasizing that they must “act with urgency to tackle this existential threat currently faced by our people in Southern Nigeria.”
Referencing the Land Use Act, which places land control in the hands of state governors, the forum urged leaders to assert that authority in defense of their people. “They must not fold their hands while their people suffer untold hardship and terror on their ancestral lands. It is time for proactive leadership that prioritizes the safety of lives and property over political interest.”
DOPF also praised the recent action taken by the Emir of Muri in Taraba State, His Royal Highness Abbas Njidda Tafida, who issued a 30-day ultimatum to Fulani herdsmen to vacate the region due to recurring violence and criminal activity. The forum posed a poignant question from the Emir’s viral message: “If people in the North can ask them to leave, why are Southerners treating them with leniency?”
The statement further urged state leaders to collaborate with traditional rulers and community heads—but only after proper security vetting—warning that some traditional leaders have previously been implicated in shielding criminal elements.
Citing recent incidents like the killing of 16 people in Uromi, Edo State, and growing fear in parts of Delta where farmers have abandoned their land, DOPF warned that such developments signal citizens’ waning faith in government. “These tragic events are calls to action, not just mere rhetoric,” the forum asserted.
The press release also referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent directive to Plateau State Governor, urging governors to take ownership of their states’ security and use all lawful means to restore peace.
“The time for rhetoric is over,” the statement concluded. “Our people deserve peace, protection, and purposeful governance.”
