Ogun State to Document Foreign Workers, Strengthen Security Amid Rising Threats

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has announced plans to document foreign nationals working with multinational companies and intensify screening of new arrivals as part of broader efforts to enhance security across the state.

The governor made the announcement on Monday in Iperu following a security meeting convened in response to rising concerns over banditry, terrorism, and other violent crimes. Highlighting Ogun’s industrial status and daily influx of more than five million commuters, Abiodun stressed the need for proactive measures.

He disclosed that security agencies recently arrested about 70 foreign nationals from Niger Republic, Sudan, and Chad who could not explain their purpose in the state. “Within the last three to four days, law enforcement agencies have arrested about 70 persons from Chad and Sudan who cannot even speak English and cannot explain what they are doing here. We are going to process these individuals with the Nigeria Immigration Service,” he said.

The governor urged non-indigene communities to be vigilant and emphasized the importance of tracking the purpose and livelihoods of new entrants to prevent criminal infiltration. He also raised concerns about scavengers, scrap dealers, and illegal miners, warning that some have become fronts for criminal activity. Law enforcement agencies have been directed to monitor these groups closely and clear criminal hideouts in areas such as the Zanga enclave in Ijebu-Ode.

Regarding a recent security scare at Ajebo in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, Abiodun said officers had profiled the settlement and confirmed that its residents posed no threat. He added that security across forest reserves would be intensified to prevent their use as criminal bases.

Abiodun called on residents to support community policing by reporting suspicious activities, stating: “Security is not the responsibility of security agents alone. We must work with them, report anything suspicious, and be observant. We must be our brother’s keeper.”

He assured that his administration would continue providing logistics support to security agencies and warned traditional rulers against allocating land to unknown persons, noting that any Oba or Baale enabling security breaches would be held accountable.

The governor commended the synergy among security agencies in maintaining stability in Ogun and praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for efforts to strengthen the economy and for the swift rescue of kidnapped victims in Niger and Kwara states.