Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has renewed calls for the establishment of state police, describing it as an urgent and practical solution to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
The governor made this known while speaking at a meeting of the Southern Governors’ Forum, where security topped the agenda. Abiodun said recent attacks on schools, churches, and communities across parts of the country underscore the limitations of the current centralised policing system.
According to him, state police would enhance community-based security by improving local intelligence gathering, early warning signals, and rapid response to threats. He noted that officers drawn from local communities would possess better knowledge of terrain, culture, and emerging security risks, thereby strengthening preventive policing.
Abiodun further revealed that the Southern Governors’ Forum has resolved to deepen engagement with traditional rulers and community leaders as part of a broader strategy to secure grassroots areas. He said traditional institutions remain critical Partners in intelligence sharing and community mobilisation against crime.
The governor also reiterated that the call for state police is not about weakening federal authority but about complementing existing security structures to better protect lives and property.
The push for state police remains one of the key proposals before the ongoing national conversation on constitutional and security sector reforms, with several state governments expressing support amid rising cases of kidnapping, banditry, and violent attacks nationwide.