By Olaniyi Ajibola
Suffice it to say that the state of Nigeria’s internal security and the need to protect lives and property across every community in the federation remains the greatest national conversation at the moment, considering the existential threat pose by the activities of bandits and violent extremists.
The senseless killings and maiming of innocent citizens on highways and in their abodes, coupled with harrowing experiences of Nigerians who were kidnapped for ransom could better be imagined, making the entire country seriously volatile.
In the face of this national challenge, the devolution of the existing unitary policing system has come up again as integral panacea to insecurity, as a way of consolidating and strengthening various existing regional security arrangements with potent and better local intelligence gathering mechanism and operational efficiency.
The transmission of Executive Bill on the creation of state police by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to the national assembly on June 24, 2026, therefore, gave hope of actualisation of the age-long clamour for decentralised policing system.
It was in response to this national challenge that a leading media organisation, Arise Television, organised a Town Hall meeting on Thursday, where critical stakeholders across Nigeria converged to discuss modalities for the proposed new policing system.
While the conversation centred around the usual issues of structural integrity and capacity of the proposed state police to confront daunting security challenges in our nation, however, one of the discussants, Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is also the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on state police creation, in his presentation went beyond the surface and raised certain fundamental issues of importance.
Governor Abiodun opined that while the idea of state police is apt and laudable, the factors that made the present unitary policing system ineffective should be extensively dissected to serve as a guide in the formation of effective state police, vibrant enough to have significant positive impacts on our internal security system.
The Governor also raised the issue of judicial effectiveness and prompt adjudication at the state level, to complement the new security arrangement against the usual delay that characterised the present system.
Governor Abiodun’s assertion on Firearms act is commendable, stating clearly that the present firearms act must either be amended or repealed, to give room for state police operatives to be appropriately and sufficiently armed. Of course, this particular issue of arming security operatives with sophisticated weapons is highly germane.
Nothing could be more suicidal than facing highly armed terrorists with pump action and dane guns. Truly, the firearms act must be amended or repealed to create room for a sophisticated security arrangement at the state level.
Prince Dapo Abiodun, also highlighted the need for collaboration between state police and federal police officers in the course of service towards building a formidable security architecture as envisaged by the proposed amendment bill on state police.
Certainly , operational synergy is essential and necessary among security agencies in the proposed system as against the primordial and senseless rivalries that have adversely affected the operational efficiency and effectiveness of this present system.
Another cogent point raised by Governor Abiodun was the quest for food security which is presently being threatened by incessant clashes between farmers and herders, saying the proposed state police arrangement would systemically address this menace and ensure that farmers and herders operate without the usual rancour and acrimony.
The fundamental question of funding, training and retraining was also mentioned by the Governor, giving assurance that the amendment bill would clearly specify this alongside the issue of abuse which have caused several civil unrest in the past.
Governor Abiodun also mentioned the issue of governance, making case for independent police commission as well as making the tenure of police Commissioner to be a single tenure to allow accountability and probity.
The Governor would not ordinarily conclude his thoughts on this very germane national discourse without exhibiting his welfarist tendency as a responsive leader with penchant for democratic deliverables.
Governor Abiodun at the event said beyond achieving the desired safe environment as conceived through the creation of state police, the arrangement would also create employment for teeming Nigerian youths in all the 774 local governments.
Governor Abiodun in his closing remarks glowingly applauded President Bola Tinubu’s efforts on decentralisation of the existing unitary policing system, describing it as audacious and a strong move, adding that the president has demonstrated his ideological inclination as a true Federalist, by championing devolution of power to federating units.
Speaking profoundly about the new security order in Ogun State, in collaboration with neighbouring state of Lagos through police operational synergy codenamed “Operation Kosaye” Abiodun said the arrangement was a proactive move to tell criminals that there is no room for criminalities in both Lagos and Ogun States.
Without mincing words, Governor Dapo Abiodun has without doubt exhibited his patriotic tendency and unwavering commitment to democratic ethos once again with these brilliant insights during the Arise TV’s Town Hall Meeting on State Police and abundantly brought his satisfactory knowledge about national issues to bear.
May God continue to increase his wisdom to serve Nigeria the more.
Ajibola is a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Strategic Communications
