Emmanuel Masha 
Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and key stakeholders across the South-South region have called for a more decentralized and community-driven approach to combating terrorism and insecurity in the region and across Nigeria.
Fubara made the call on Thursday during the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee South-South Zonal Public Hearing on the National Security Summit, held in Port Harcourt in collaboration with the Rivers State Government. The hearing had the theme, “The Way Forward in Tackling National Security Issues at the Local Level.”
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benebo Anabraba, the governor emphasized the need for deeper collaboration among governments, security agencies, and local communities to ensure sustainable peace, safety, and development.
He said:
“Security is not the business of government alone, but a shared responsibility of every citizen. As a government, we remain fully aware of our constitutional duty to protect lives and property and safeguard the territorial integrity of Nigeria.”
Fubara noted that the state has invested significantly in supporting security agencies with operational vehicles, boats, aircraft, accommodation, and welfare, stressing that the public hearing was timely given ongoing security threats that harm national revenue, degrade the environment, and endanger lives.
“This gathering demonstrates our collective commitment to a more secure, stable, and prosperous future for the South-South region and Nigeria,” he added.
He urged policymakers to adopt a bottom-up strategy that recognizes the region’s peculiar coastal terrain and its strategic link to the Gulf of Guinea.
The governor assured that his administration would continue to strengthen intelligence sharing, improve inter-state cooperation, support youth empowerment initiatives, and encourage increased community participation in security efforts.
Senate Minority Leader and Chairman of the South-South Security Summit, Senator Abba Patrick Moro, said the summit was convened to diagnose and understand the root causes of security challenges nationwide.
Moro stated:
“The Senate recognizes that no security effort can succeed without a clear understanding of local dynamics. We are here to listen to experts, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, and those directly affected by the threats we seek to address.”
He assured that insights from the summit would guide legislative actions, budgetary decisions, and policy reforms aimed at strengthening national security.
The Chairman of the South-South Traditional Rulers Forum, His Majesty Sergeant Awuse, urged security agencies to intensify the fight against crime. He cautioned against the unchecked rise of local and cultural security blocs and called for greater youth investment to achieve a safer society.
“You have local vigilantes, but we cannot absolutely rely on tribal groups,” he said, noting the presence of Amotekun in the South-West and Ebube Agu in the South-East. “In our area, we do not have a unified structure. We have young people looking after communities on empty stomachs. Government must support them, because when youths are left idle, society becomes more unsafe.”
Awuse stressed that a secure society can only be achieved through the effective performance of authorities and meaningful support for young people.
