Daud Olatunji
Three years after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on joint security, including the deployment of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on key interstate highways, Governors Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State have met again—but were conspicuously silent on the status of the long-abandoned security measure.
The two leaders, who had in February 2022 launched the Ogun–Oyo Joint Security Initiative to combat rising cases of kidnapping, banditry, ritual killings, and farmers–herders clashes along their shared borders, reunited in Ibadan on Tuesday for a fresh round of talks.
However, despite renewed concerns over highway insecurity, the previously proposed CCTV installations failed to feature in their public remarks.
The 2022 agreement included the formation of a Joint Border Security Task Force and the installation of surveillance technology across volatile routes such as the Abeokuta–Ibadan and Ijebu–Igbo–Oke Ogun corridors.
These locations have since witnessed repeated security breaches, with residents and commuters expressing fears over their safety.
Instead, Tuesday’s meeting, held behind closed doors at the Oyo State Government House, focused primarily on food production and economic collaboration between the two Southwest neighbours.
Governor Abiodun, speaking after the meeting, said the visit was to strengthen cultural and economic ties, particularly in agriculture, adding that the region must prioritise food sovereignty.
“I have come to see my brother, Governor Seyi Makinde, to discuss matters of mutual interest. Ogun State was part of the old Western Region where Ibadan was the capital. We have very strong ties, both cultural and economic,” Abiodun said.
He added: “A time like this presented itself for us to look at how to ensure that we strengthen that economic relationship in the agricultural sector as we strive for food security and sovereignty.
Our discussions centred on how we can collaborate to ensure that we eat what we grow and grow what we eat.”
While both governors spoke glowingly of their agricultural achievements—highlighting farms in Odeda, Imeko, and Yewa North in Ogun, and several agricultural initiatives in Oyo—observers noted the absence of any update on the 2022 security plans, especially the unfulfilled CCTV promise.
Security analysts say the omission is worrisome, considering persistent attacks on border communities and the continued reliance on local vigilante groups such as Amotekun and informal networks for early warning and intelligence.
Governor Abiodun briefly acknowledged the role of Amotekun in the region’s security architecture, describing it as a valuable intelligence resource.
However, he stopped short of outlining any new concrete plans for strengthening highway surveillance or reviving the stalled CCTV project.
Meanwhile, civil society groups and border communities have urged the two governors to revisit the 2022 agreement and provide a transparent account of why critical components, such as the CCTV installation, have yet to materialise.
A resident of Iwoye-Ketu, a border town in Ogun, told PLATFORM TIMES: “We are still at the mercy of bandits and ritualists. What happened to the cameras they promised us three years ago? Now, all they talk about is farming—who farms in fear?”
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